Some cities and water providers have recently started implementing a drought contingency plan with limitations on water use. Let’s huddle together to preserve water with a water-saving playbook and beat this drought!
Read on to learn how to implement new plays on irrigation and bench old tactics that waste water and money while becoming the best defensive player against the drought.
Get the inside scoop on your opponent! Knowing how much water is actually needed to water your yard is crucial for the following plays. Sign up for WaterMyYard to receive free weekly reminders on how much to water based on weather data in your area. You can access this resource online or through the mobile app on your phone.
Bench it! Knowing exactly how much water is needed for your specific address prevents overwatering.
Call a time-out on watering at night! Watering at night disrupts the plant’s natural regulatory activity of transpiration, promotes bacterial and fungal growth, creates an ideal environment for unwanted pests such as slugs, and leads to waterlogging and increased erosion.
- Early morning, before 10 AM, is the best time to water your home turf! Turn on the water before you get ready and turn it off before you leave. Temperatures are much cooler, which prevents evaporation, allowing more water to reach the roots.
- Late evenings with enough daylight left to allow grass to dry before nightfall would be the second-best time.
Bench it! Watering at night will cost you some yardage in this drought season.
Don’t run a blitz! Texas’ Gulf Coast region has predominantly clay-rich soil that cannot soak up water quickly. Give the lawn some time to soak and penetrate down to the roots. Try the cycle-and-soak play!
- Determining how long each cycle should be by observing how long it takes for water to start pooling while irrigating. This can be done for different zones of the yard (backyard vs. front or garden beds).
- Split the total time recorded from step one into 2-3 intervals with 30 minutes between each to allow the water to soak in. Example: It took 30 minutes for the water to start to pool. The cycle for two intervals will be 15 minutes of watering followed by 30 minutes with irrigation off (soak) and then another 15 minutes of watering.
Bench it! Watering for long periods is not effective, resulting in over 50% water loss that will result in a yellow flag on the play!
Bleed brown and yellow! During the drought season, the lawn may be repping more brown and yellow, but do not throw in the towel!
- Most grasses can go dormant for 3-4 weeks during a drought and will recover in the growing season.
- Determine zone coverage on areas you want to keep on the greener side like the front yard versus the back yard.
Bench it! Just because your turf isn’t green doesn’t mean that it’s not alive. You will find yourself turning over more greens from your wallet trying to keep the lawn from going brown!
Go long! Longer blades of grass provide more shade to the surface soil and roots, reducing evaporation and drying out.
- Mow less and use the highest setting on the lawnmower to mow only about one-third of the leaf blade.
Bench it! Having the same mowing routine as you did in spring will not gain you any yards from the line of scrimmage in this game against the drought.
For more details and information, check out these great resources:
• Texas A&M AgriLife Extension-Keeping Your Lawn Alive During Drought
• EPA WaterSense- When It’s Hot
• EPA WaterSense- Cycle-and-Soak Brochure
• Eartheasy-The 5 Best Ways to Save Water During a Drought