A well-kept, lush, green lawn around the house is certainly an asset that most homeowners dream about – seeing a great lawn around your home whenever you look out the window has a calming effect on stressed nerve, the soft, green grass can reduce the temperature around your home and add moisture to the air, thus making your home environment more pleasant and the lawn is also great for playing and socializing. However, a great lawn needs lots of watering and lawn watering can be not only tedious and time-consuming, but costly as well. These factors, along with Colorado’s limited supplies of water, have made lawn owners and lawn experts look for ways that could save them not only energy, but water as well, so here are some tips of maintaining the beauty and the health of your turf with less water.
Mowing at the Right Height
Cutting the grass too short exposes too much of the soil to the heat of the sun, which also means that short grass needs more watering than longer leaves. Short plants also have weaker, smaller roots that retain less water than larger roots, which also accelerates the drying process and requires you use more water if you want to maintain the quality of your lawn. The best height for your lawn mower blades is near the highest setting, that way you can make sure that the surface of the soil stays moist even when the sun is scorching and that your grass will grow large, strong, healthy roots that can lock in moisture for longer.
Leave Lawn Clipping on the Laws for a While
The clippings that your lawn mower cuts off contain lots of precious moisture that is lost if you bag it all right after the mowing. Leave the short particles on your grass for a few days after mowing – the method will return precious moisture to your soil and turf. The short clippings will keep moisturizing your grass for a few days – you can gather them for bagging when you see that they have dried properly.
Fertilize the Lawn Regularly
Nourishing your lawn properly is essential for preserving its beauty its health and it is also a great way to lock in more moisture. The right type and best lawn fertilizer will not only make the necessary nutrients available for your plants, but will also improve the quality of the soil, enabling it to retain water for longer and to resist even longer periods of heat stress. The best type of fertilizer to use is compost, that is, organic fertilizer made from organic waste – you can collect the residues generated during cooking in your home, put it all in a large bin, watering it and turning it over occasionally, until it all turns into a nutrient-rich, natural, safe and efficient fertilizer.
Water Early in the Morning or at Night and Keep Sprinkler Heads Directed Towards the Lawn
Watering when it is very hot outside and the sun is high up is not only a waste of water – it is also damaging for your lawn. Make sure you water your lawn in the morning or at night, when the temperature of the grass and of the water are closer to each other and pay attention to direct your sprinklers only towards the lawn and not towards the adjacent driveway or paths to avoid wasting water.