In order to keep our lawns healthy and vibrant, many of us won’t hesitate to pile on the water. However, unbeknownst to many homeowners, excessive water use comes with a number of disadvantages.
In addition to being wasteful, overwatering your lawn stands to leave it weak and vulnerable. Furthermore, if you live in a community with water usage restrictions, you may even land yourself in legal trouble.
Although some homeowners have a hard time envisioning lawn care without copious amounts of water, minimizing water usage is much easier than you may think.
1. Hire a Professional Lawn Care Company
If you’re not well-versed in effective water conservation methods, reach out to a local lawn care company. A dependable company – especially one based in a drought-prone area – is likely to know various tips and tricks for making a lawn thrive amidst drought conditions.
Additionally, seasoned lawn care pros often know exactly how much water assorted grass types require, as well as their ideal watering schedules. So, if you lack the time, knowhow or inclination to undertake water conservation efforts on your own, there’s no time like the present to start researching local lawn care companies.
2. Install Automated Sprinklers
When we water our lawns on our own, we tend to waste a great deal of water. Calculating the exact amount of water being used throughout the manual watering process would be virtually impossible for even the most brilliant mind.
This is where automated sprinkler systems can prove useful. These systems are designed to administer specific amounts of water at specific times, effectively taking human error out of the equation.
Read also: Eco-Friendly Ways to Achieve a Healthy Lawn
For maximum conservation, make sure these sprinklers are installed in spots that ensure every drop of water makes it onto the lawn. Since improper positioning can result in streets and sidewalks receiving the bulk of the water, exercise extreme caution throughout the installation process.
3. Be Mindful of Mowing Length
When it comes time to mow, many of us set our mowers on the lowest possible setting. The way we figure it, the shorter the grass, the more time we can wait before mowing it again.
For people with large lawns, this line of thought is certainly understandable. However, while this approach to mowing may save you a little bit of time, it can ultimately have a negative impact on both the health of your lawn and your water conservation efforts.
Cutting grass excessively short leaves it poorly equipped to retain water and assorted nutrients. As such, the shorter you cut your grass, the more water you’ll need to provide it with.
Read also: 6 Compelling Reasons to Have a Healthy Lawn in your Home
To nip this problem in the bud, make a point of sticking to your grass type’s recommended height when mowing. If you’ve grown accustomed to over-mowing and are unclear on your grass’s ideal height, seek this information out online or get in touch with a professional lawn care company.
While you may not be crazy about the way it looks, keeping your grass a little longer than usual can be a boon to water conservation.
4. Switch to a Drought-Resistant Grass Type
If drought conditions have become a common occurrence in your area, it may be in your best interest to switch to a drought-resistant grass type. In addition to requiring far less water than many standard grass types, drought-resistant grasses tend to be low-maintenance and fairly easy to care for.
So, even if you don’t hail from a drought-prone area, you may want to consider making the switch if you lack the time for meticulous lawn care. Anyone in the market for drought-resistant grasses should consider sheep fescue, buffalograss, Bermudagrass and centipede grass.
Read also: Why You Should Use Reclaimed Materials in Your Home Garden
If you’re unclear on the best types of drought-resistant for your particular climate, your preferred search engine or lawn care company likely holds the answers you seek.
Water plays an essential role in lawn care. Even many drought-resistant grasses are liable to have trouble surviving without a little bit of water.
However, without meaning to, many of us use far more water than needed in the maintenance of our lawns. Not only is this incredibly wasteful, it’s also against the law in communities with strict restrictions on water usage.
Homeowners who are ready to conserve water, reduce their carbon footprint and help their lawns thrive should take active steps to minimize water usage when caring for their grass.
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