Jim Hole: How to Maintain a Lush Yard with Less Effort
With over 30 years as a professional gardener, I've learned how to maintain a lush yard with less effort.
- I water my lawn only as needed, to a maximum of one hour a week, and less if it rains.
- A healthy lawn needs a maximum of 2.5 cm (1") of water per week. You can easily measure this by laying a few 2.5 cm high food tins around the yard. When they're full, you can shut off the sprinklers.
- My lawn sometimes turns a little brown during dry periods, but I know it will green up when it rains again.
- I've replaced some of my lawn with low water use plants.
Quantity & Timing: When, Why, and Where to Water
The best lawns need up to 2.5 cm of watering per week, less if it rains. Established lawns can endure four to six weeks without water without suffering any long term damage, but the grass may go dormant (brown). Don't worry if your lawn isn't emerald green during dry periods; dormant grass recovers 10-14 days after irrigation.
To prevent water loss from evaporation, water your lawn during the early morning and don't water when it's windy.
- Wind will create water waste through both evaporation and drift (when water is blown off course and wasted on your driveway or sidewalk).
- The sprinkler nozzle and water pressure can also have a big effect on evaporation. The larger the nozzle and the lower the water pressure, the more likely the droplets will reach the plants without turning to vapour
- Ensure that the water applied is absorbed, not running off into the street or driveway. Rather than watering for a full hour in a single stretch, you might want to split up your watering schedule. For example, you may find that after 20 minutes of irrigation, water starts to pool on the lawn surface and then runs off into the street. If this happens, stop irrigating immediately, wait for the lawn to absorb the moisture, and begin watering again. Continue until you've accumulated an hour's worth of irrigation.
Efficiency Tips: A Little Planning Goes a Long Way
Water your plants, not your driveway. Position the sprinkler so that you're not watering your house or driveway, lower the rate of water delivery, adjust the spray radius, and make sure spray heads are adjusted to the proper height.
Position the sprinkler so that you're not watering your house or driveway, lower the rate of water delivery, adjust the spray radius, and make sure spray heads are adjusted to the proper height.
- Don't be fooled by surface appearances. Remember that even if the soil surface is dry, the soil underneath it may still be moist. Use a soil probe (a simple tool such as a screwdriver will do) to check moisture so that you don't overwater your plants and lawn. If you can push the screwdriver 10-15 cm into the soil easily, you don't need to water. Remember that even if the soil surface is dry, the soil underneath it may still be moist. Use a soil probe (a simple tool such as a screwdriver will do) to check moisture so that you don't overwater your plants and lawn. If you can push the screwdriver 10-15 cm into the soil easily, you don't need to water. Remember that even if the soil surface is dry, the soil underneath it may still be moist. Use a soil probe (a simple tool such as a screwdriver will do) to check moisture so that you don't overwater your plants and lawn. If you can push the screwdriver 10-15 cm into the soil easily, you don't need to water.
- Prioritize your lawn care: the grass in your back yard doesn't have to be as lush as the front lawn.
- If you have a patch of grass that's not meant for display (e.g., a backyard play area), you may want to experiment with "survival irrigation." 6mm-1.25 cm of water every four weeks will ensure that the lawn will survive, without greening up.
- For lawns where appearance isn't paramount, don't water until the lawn turns grey-green. Base your irrigation schedule on need.
- Also minimizing foot traffic during times of drought will reduce turf damage.
If you have a patch of grass that's not meant for display (e.g., a backyard play area), you may want to experiment with "survival irrigation." 6mm-1.25 cm of water every four weeks will ensure that the lawn will survive, without greening up.
Plants & Water: Using Plant Characteristics to Your Advantage
Deep roots are happy roots.
- If you gradually decrease the amount of watering you do, the shallow roots of overwatered plants will grow deeper, and they'll become capable of living with less irrigation.
- To take advantage of deep roots, water less frequently (no more than once a week) for about an hour, as long as the lawn can absorb the water fast enough to avoid runoff.
- Weed regularly. Weeds leave less water for your other plants. Pull them out, roots and all, to prevent them from growing back.
- Design your yard so that plants are separated based on their water requirements. This avoids wasting water, as plants with fewer water needs are no longer overwatered as they would be if they were planted alongside very thirsty plants. This avoids wasting water, as plants with fewer water needs are no longer overwatered as they would be if they were planted alongside very thirsty plants. This avoids wasting water, as plants with fewer water needs are no longer overwatered as they would be if they were planted alongside very thirsty plants.
Absorption is Everything: Efficient Soil Management
Don't skimp on topsoil! Rich soil will hold water far more efficiently than soil with lots of clay or sand. Before you install a new lawn, make sure that you have at least 15 cm of rich topsoil.
Rich soil will hold water far more efficiently than soil with lots of clay or sand. Before you install a new lawn, make sure that you have at least 15 cm of rich topsoil.
- Amend compacted soil. Plants have difficulty growing hard, compacted soil; nor can water or nutrients penetrate these soils. Work plenty of organic matter into the soil to correct this problem. Plants have difficulty growing hard, compacted soil; nor can water or nutrients penetrate these soils. Work plenty of organic matter into the soil to correct this problem. Plants have difficulty growing hard, compacted soil; nor can water or nutrients penetrate these soils. Work plenty of organic matter into the soil to correct this problem.
Mowing and Maintaining Your Lawn: Making the Cut
- Cut less often, and cut your grass higher than usual. Since a robust root system is vital for water absorption, it pays to let your grass grow a little.
- 7 cm tall blades will provide shade for roots and soil.
- Kentucky bluegrass mowed to a height of 7 cm will develop extensive roots that often reach 20-25 cm into rich soil.
- By contrast, Kentucky bluegrass shorn to 2.5 cm in height will develop a far shallower root system, just 5-8 cm deep.
- As the summer turns to fall, mowing heights should be increased.
- Taller grass blades generate more energy, allowing your lawn's roots to collect and store that energy for the winter. A 7.5 cm height is excellent for Fall mowing. However, don't cut much higher than this; allowing the grass to grow too tall in the autumn results in grass that becomes matted, encouraging diseases like snow mould.
- Keep your mower blades sharp.
- Sharp blades result in a cleaner cut, which reduces plant stress. That means less browning, and less need for extra water. Sharpen your mower blades at least three times a year.
- Whenever possible, return your grass clippings to the lawn.
- Cut the lawn frequently to return soft grass blades to the soil; this will replenish about 40% of the applied nitrogen back to the lawn, once the clippings break down. Use a mulching mower to speed the breakdown of these clippings.
- Soft clippings, by the way, won't lead to the dreaded thatch buildup; thatch only occurs when the grass is allowed to grow too tall and the tough, lignified (woody) stems of the grass predominate.
- Keep lawn thatch down to 1.25 cm.
- A thin layer of thatch preserves soil moisture while a thick layer interrupts rainfall and irrigated water, reducing absorption.
- Thatch encourages water to run off into the street, reducing water efficiency. If your lawn thatch is thicker than 1.25 cm, de-thatch in the spring.
- You can also help break down thatch by adding a thin 1 cm layer of loam to the lawn. This is called "top dressing," and should be done in the spring.
If you fertilize your lawn, always use a slow-release fertilizer. Slow, gradual growth reduces the lawn's need for large doses of water. You'll only need to fertilize twice a year.
Since a robust root system is vital for water absorption, it pays to let your grass grow a little.
Mulch: Conserve Water and Beautify Your Yard
Use mulches.
- Mulch conserves water by reducing evaporation, lowering soil temperature, and controlling weeds, which compete with other plants for water.
- Organic mulches include shredded leaves, wood chips, bark mulches, pine needles, or small grass clippings (large clumps of grass should be composted).
- Rototill organic matter into compact soil to loosen it. Keep mulch away from contact with tree trunks to prevent decay of the tree bark.
- Many mulches also have a strong decorative appeal; they can add a neat, clean look to your flower and vegetable beds.
Tips provided by Hole's, Canadian gardening experts. For more in-depth information on water in the garden, see Jim Hole's articles at http://www.enjoygardening.com/.