If you’re trying to save water around the home, you’re probably thinking the lawn isn’t the place to compromise.
Watch: A guide to ornamental grass
Typically, your turf does require a lot of water to thrive, but there are some things you can do in your garden to create the environment for a more water-wise lawn.
How to make your grass more water wise
While reducing the amount of sun that hits your lawn makes sense for reducing the water your lawn needs, it’s risky.
John Mason, Horticulturist and Principal of ACS Distance Education, says, “Most good lawns do best in full sun or light shade.
“Fescues are a little better in the shade than other common lawn grasses, but for untrained home gardeners, this is a bit of a risky and delicate move to try and use shade to reduce water loss.”
Instead, John recommends some of the following to help you save water.
How to keep your lawn green without watering
1. Add water crystals or organic matter
John says water crystal or organic matter increases water holding capacity, but it comes with a warning. “While that makes the lawn better in dry weather, it can also make it too wet in wet weather; and with many types of grasses (particularly closer mown, fine leaf turf) it risks killing the grass or promoting strongly competitive weed growth.”
2. Reduce wind
“Wind can remove as much moisture as heat,” says John. A windbreak can be a great way to protect your lawn, and you can put it up and take it down as needed.
3. Anti-transpirant spray
“Another way to reduce evaporation temporarily may be anti-transparent chemicals sprayed on plant leaves,” says John. Try this one from Yates.
4. Mow your lawn higher to encourage deeper roots
A deeper root system means your grass will be able to withstand heatwaves better. But it also means it will need deeper watering, but this can be done at less frequent intervals. One way to encourage a deeer root system is to increasing mowing height (2-3 times higher than usual.)
John says to also “make sure it [the grass] sits on deep well-draining soil, so roots go deeper.”
5. Choose a hardier grass
When selecting grass for your yard, John says, “It is better to use hardier grasses that will tolerate periods of dryness.”
“It depends on the climate but generally avoid fine-leaved grass-like bent grasses. The most drought tolerant grasses include Bermuda couch grass; Zoysia, Buffalo grasses, Wheatgrass, Tall fescue, Fine leaved fescue.”
Here’s how to pick the perfect type of lawn for your location.
If you would like to learn more about gardening, ACS runs an expert home gardening course. Find out more here.
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