Trends in fashion, design and pop culture come and go. Some circle back after a few decades.
One garden trend that is getting a lot of attention lately is replacing water-thirsty lawns with a more water-thrifty landscape. More people are paying attention to their outdoor water use and seeking ways to be better stewards of our natural resources.
This trend is a keeper.
Water-aware landscapes are becoming a preferred practice for homeowners, municipalities and homeowner associations as respect for conscientious water consumption continues to take root in the entire Rocky Mountain region.
Popular replacement alternatives include installing native grass turf or other types that require less water. Another option is to reduce the lawn area for a different use like a patio or vegetable garden. A style that is also gaining popularity is to replace lawns and add plants with a focus on native, prairie or adapted plants that require less water along with the bonus of attracting plant pollinators and beneficial insects.
Today, we will focus on ways to conserve water in a home landscape and whether swapping out a lawn is a good idea for every situation. Turf lawn grass types will also be defined to further assist in deciding whether to do a lawn conversion. (A future article will discuss the steps involved in choosing a new type of grass, removing an existing lawn and how to plant and care for the replacement.)
Save water with smart lawn care practices
Water saving is possible right now with an existing landscape and proper management.
Fix what you have. Easy water savings result from correct irrigation sprinkler head placement and alignment so nearby unwanted places aren’t being watered (like pavement). Focus on replacing broken sprinkler heads and zoning plants with similar watering requirements. Experiment with run times on lawn areas: Even cutting back three to five minutes for each zone will save water. This includes those who use hoses and sprinklers.
Time your landscape watering to reduce water evaporation. Aim for late evening (10 p.m. to midnight) or early morning (7 to 9 a.m.) when there is less wind, more humidity and temperatures are cooler. Break up run times (called soak and cycle) on difficult slopes and areas where runoff is a problem.
Adjust sprinkler settings. Overwatering a landscape is a common mistake and easy to do. It makes no sense to set the sprinkler times once in the spring and leave the same settings until it’s time to shut down the system in the fall. Seasonal adjustments to sprinkler systems can save water. Water needs for plants in the spring are much less than in mid-summer with 90-degree days.
Buy a good controller. Learning how to run an irrigation system and installing an affordable, smart irrigation controller is helpful to your pocketbook. Convenient, WiFi-enabled water-efficient technology for sprinkler systems have rain sensors and can easily be programmed to water at the correct time during the day. (Some municipalities, like Denver and Aurora, offer rebates for a smart controller, a soil moisture sensor and more efficient sprinkler heads and nozzles.)
Scott Behnke, co-owner of LawnCARE Solutions in Littleton, recommends using smart irrigation systems with added sensors for even more water savings. One important added sensor uses daily weather data to deliver only enough water to meet the plant’s needs. “Some smart irrigation systems with water-saving features can alert you when and where there are leaks in the system and let the user know how much water has been used,” said Behnke.
There are excellent choices of smart irrigation controllers on the market today. Shop around, talk to neighbors and friends who have added smart irrigation controllers and consider partnering with a lawn care professional who understands the importance of conservation irrigation practices who can assist with installation and service.
Lawn basics
Just like trees and other plants, lawns are oxygen producers and remove CO2 from the atmosphere. The soil underneath is full of microbes and insects. Lawns are places for people of all ages to play and relax (don’t forget pets, too). Caring for a lawn provides some physical outside exercise. For many people, lawns are a pleasant setting surrounding their home.
There are two broad categories (species or groups of species) of grass turf, and their differences and benefits vary considerably. Cool-season grasses, which are the majority of types in this area, grow best in the spring and fall when soil and air temperatures are the coolest (hence the name “cool-season grasses”). Warm-season grasses grow mostly from June through mid-September and are well adapted to hot, dry weather — so they are called warm-season grasses.
The differences between both cool and warm-season grasses are evident in growth patterns, mowing requirements, maintenance, water frequency and performance from activity from children play, dogs, etc.
The cool-season grasses that are mostly grown in our area include Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, tall and fine fescue or a combination of these grasses. They form nice lawns in texture and green color but can have less tolerance for shady conditions. Perennial ryegrass can tolerate the most foot traffic but does not do well in drought. Fescues (both tall and fine) are often in grass mixes and are more tolerant of shade, foot traffic and drought.
Since all lawns are not exactly the same or have identical growing conditions, care and watering needs vary over the growing season.
Most cool-season grasses require regular watering (usually one to three times a week) during the summer months to remain green. This amounts to roughly 24 to 30 inches of irrigation a year. They may need more than the normal inch of weekly water during hot, windy and dry conditions. They generally need less water on cloudy and cooler days.
Cool-season grasses require regular mowing, weed control, seasonal aeration and two to three seasonal fertilization applications.
Native warm-season grasses and other low water needing grass turf options are getting the latest attention and consideration for lawn swapping. The list of choices include buffalo-grass, blue grama, Bermudagrass, wheatgrass and others.
Warm-season grasses delay greening up in the spring until temperatures are consistently warm, which is late May to June in our area, and go dormant and brown when temperatures cool down in the fall — usually by mid-September. Warm-season grasses perform the best in full-sun locations.
Once warm-season grasses are well-established, mowing and watering can vary from weekly to monthly, or just a few times over the growing season depending on which appearance is desired. Total water needs range from 0 to 20 inches a year. Fertilization is needed once per year in either July or August. Warm-season grasses generally do not perform well under constant, heavy foot traffic. Instead of Buffalo grass, elevations above 7,000 feet will do better with blue grama, Chewings, hard or sheep fescues.
Where to make a lawn swap
Before you decide to take out your cool-season lawn, think carefully about your expectations. Is this native grass right for you, including the time needed to get it well established and the costs involved? What is the yard used for, and will this new grass grow well in your situation? There is long-term maintenance with weed management just as any landscape requires for it to look good. Also, consider the impact on the health of nearby trees.
Shady lawns mean trees are planted close by so their tree roots are growing all through the lawn and most likely other areas in the landscape. When lawns are watered, trees are watered as well, which is a good thing. In the long-term, installing a lawn type that needs less water can stress or damage trees.
Incidentally, the benefits of trees are countless in our landscapes and should be a priority in deciding to make dramatic landscape changes, unless the design includes taking appropriate measures to meet the watering needs of trees.
Scott Behnke, who has done several lawn conversion projects for homeowners and homeowner associations, offers the best advice: “if you’re choosing an area to convert, pick the one that you’re fighting to maintain, because in the long-term it’s never worth the fight.” In other words, why continue to care for swaths of a water-thirsty, cool-season lawn when it’s in an area that gets little use, like some parkways and island plantings in city developments and HOAs?
For homeowners, look for areas that are too large or expensive to irrigate. For smaller yards, the area between sidewalks and the street are excellent possibilities (again, if no nearby trees will be affected by less watering).
Next week: replacing a cool-season lawn.
Colorado lawn resources
Choosing a lawn grass in Colorado
Colorado native and water wise grass guide
Convert your turf with Dr. Tony Koski, extension turf specialist and professor, CSU
Growing grass in the shade
Inspecting and correcting turf irrigation system problems
Lawn conversion resources
Native lawn establishment in Colorado
The hidden value of landscapes: Implications for drought planning
Betty Cahill speaks and writes about gardening in Colorado. Visit her at gardenpunchlist.blogspot.com for more gardening tips.
