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Lawn Care
Significant savings in water use can be made without affecting grass quality.
Watering Watering your lawn too frequently makes it rely on more water than it needs. Remember to give your lawn a deep watering during the early morning or evening to minimize water loss through evaporation. A good soaking one or two evenings a week is more beneficial than a sprinkling every day. In addition, this allows the soil to dry out between waterings, reducing the risk of fungal infections.
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Watering Tips
- Delay watering as long as possible in the warmer months.
- Soak the soil by using a fine spray and allowing water to soak to the full depth of the root zone.
- Aerate or spike the soil to allow more rapid soaking.
- Never water in the heat of the day; for maximum benefit, water at night.
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Mowing By cutting no lower than 1 inch, the grass will develop a more extensive root system which will go deeper into the soil to find water and nutrients. Additionally, the soil surface will be shaded by the grass, greatly reducing heat stress damage.
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Mowing Tips
- Use sharp blades; dull blades increase the damage done by mowing.
- Don’t mow if the temperature will exceed 98 degrees.
- Keep the mowing height at 1 inch or higher.
- Mow weekly in the growing season and monthly during slow growth periods.
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Run-Off Overwatering removes vital nutrients from the soil and wastes expensive fertilizer. These products often find their way into rivers and streams, causing damage to the environment.
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Tips To stop run-off, especially on steep slopes with clay soils:
- use a fine spray at 5 minute intervals;
- improve soil structure;
- use mulch; and
- spike or aerate the lawn.
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While lawns prefer mildly acidic soil, very acidic soil may need alkali, such as lime, to be added, preferably in winter. Soil which is too acidic or too alkaline will reduce your lawn’s tolerance to heat, stress and disease. Fertilizing of lawns should be done in moderation. In watershed areas, it should not be done at all. A correctly fed lawn can use 20 percent less water while retaining its greenness. However, over-feeding will encourage the growth of leaves at the expense of the root system, reducing the lawn’s ability to withstand heat and wear and increases water use.
You can have healthier lawns and save water in the process.
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