Five commonsense lawn watering tips for healthy grass

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Lawns are water guzzlers, requiring about an inch of water per week during the growing season to remain green and vibrant. Many arid regions of the nation don’t get anywhere near that much average rainfall and many municipalities have restrictions on how much you can apply.

To conserve water and get the best results for your lawns, gardens, trees and shrubs, remember these tips. Together, they can reduce lawn watering by 75% to 100%.

1. Water in the morning so that the surface of the lawn and garden dries off during the day.

2. Water deeply and infrequently so the roots of the plants learn to grow down into the soil to get the water they need.

3. Use a timer, if you’re in a rush in the morning, to automatically shut-off the sprinkler. New-age "evapotranspiration" monitors will communicate with the local weather bureau and tell your sprinkler system when to turn on.

4. Use organic fertilizers and soil amendments such as leaf mulch or compost increase soil's water-holding capacity, allowing the lawn and garden to stay greener longer.

5. Choose the right plant for the right place. Instead of growing bluegrass in the North or Bermuda grass in the South, both of which require copious amounts of water, try buffalo grass. It survives on about 75% less water and only requires mowing about once a month. For more on drought tolerance of soil, visit the San Antonio Botanic Garden's website at and check out the exhibit for WaterSaver Lane. It provides loads of great landscaping ideas.

Paul Tukey is the founder of Safelawns.org. See all his Organic Lawn Care Tips.

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