Lawn matters

Driving around Tehachapi Valley, I see a lot of lawns turning a lovely shade of greenish gold that shows people are cutting back on their lawn watering. Good job, you guys!

So, why is it that lawn takes so much water?

Density. Your lawn has thousands and thousands of individual grass plants packed together. All of them need the same amount of water and other resources. That means the water in the soil is depleted quickly.

Phenology. That’s a scientific term for the cyclic pattern of a species: growth, flowering, setting seed. Our lawn grasses have a natural pattern of active growth in spring and fall and a resting phase through the hot dry summer. The resting phase is called dormancy, the grass turns golden. We interrupt that cycle by using a lot of water to make the grass stay green all summer. By letting the grass go dormant during the summer, we are actually allowing it to do what comes naturally to it – plus saving A LOT of water!

Management 1 – Mowing. Plants have what is called a root to shoot ratio. That means there are enough roots to collect water and nutrients to support the above ground parts of the plant, and there are enough leaves to photosynthesize and provide food for the whole plant, including the roots. So trimming branches from a tree will cause some roots to die off. Mowing the grass leaves limit the amount of roots it can have. In nature, tall fescue can grow roots up to four feet deep! Putting the lawn mower on its highest setting (or not mowing at all) will allow the plant to grow deeper roots and access more soil moisture.

Management 2 – Irrigation. Did you know turfgrass is the Number 1 irrigated crop in the country? And unlike crop plants and orchards, lawn grass is irrigated by amateurs. Most of us are never taught how to use the timer and how to set it to water the grass the right amount. Watering a little bit every day is exactly the wrong way to water! But we’ve managed to muddle through and keep the grass green.

Now we’re being asked to do a whole new grass trick – don’t keep it green. Grass is a valuable part of the home or business landscape. You’ve invested a lot of time and/or money into your lawn. You absolutely can let it go dormant this summer, keep it alive, and get it greened up in fall. We can help!

We offer free irrigation check-ups! Contact me, Liz Block, for an appointment at (661) 822-5504 or [email protected].