Efficiently using water and avoiding unnecessary waste is always a good idea no matter where you live. This especially applies when watering your lawn! The summer months can be tough on grass when it’s hot and rain is hard to come by. If you live in a climate like central Washington, odds are you will need to water your lawn to help it get through the summer. This short article will give you some ideas on how to keep your grass happy while saving water and money!
If you’re looking at seeding a new lawn or interseeding an existing one, put some thought into your region's soils and climate. Is the soil more on the sandy side, and is rainfall infrequent where you live? If so, considering a seed mix heavier on the fescues and lighter on the Kentucky Bluegrass is a good idea! Fescues can have deeper root systems that can tap into moisture lower in the water table, making them more resilient during a drought. Kentucky Bluegrass still has a place, but make sure it doesn’t comprise the majority of the mix.
Before we move onto irrigation, one other tactic can be used to keep our lawns doing well through the summer. If you have been thinking about doing some landscaping and adding shrubs, pavers, or other items to your lawn, target the areas where your lawn is doing the poorest if possible. Putting unproductive space in your lawn to a better use helps you save water and money, and ensures your grass is only seeded where it can thrive!
Despite following the above recommendations, the heat and drought can still get the best of our lawns, and we need to irrigate. Now, hold on Grass Dad! I know you’re excited to save your lawn, but before you even reach for the spigot, you need to check your equipment. Make sure the rubber washers in the hose and sprinkler fittings are in good shape and aren’t cracked or brittle to prevent leaking. Also, check for any obstructions in the hose, sprinkler nozzles, and fittings and remove them so your irrigation system works as efficiently as possible.
Once you know your equipment is good to go, be strategic with where you put the sprinkler or sprinklers. If you have multiple sprinkler heads, position them in a way so they can water the entire area without overlapping. And always try to avoid overspray onto roads and concrete as this water is wasted! Also, adjusting the angle so the water stream is more flat and has less of an arc is great for reducing wind impact and evaporation. For the best efficiency, install a subsurface drip irrigation system. This system has little to no evaporation loss and gets the water to the roots right away.
Here are a few more tips to follow when irrigating your lawn: If the temperature is cool and your lawn has received rain recently, you probably don’t need to water. If you just recently seeded your lawn, you should water more frequently until it’s well established. Water during the evening and when it’s calm to avoid evaporation loss. Leaving your lawn taller when mowing during the summer promotes deeper root growth and also provides additional shade, keeping the ground cooler and preventing moisture from evaporating.
When you follow these guidelines, you can feel confident that you are being as efficient and as water wise as possible with your lawn. While the grass is getting a drink, enjoy the break, Grass Dad. You’ve earned it.
Source: Wendy Mee, Resource Technician, Kittitas County Conservation District
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