Use Peat Moss For Plants That Like Acidic Soil
Sphagnum peat moss is a naturally occurring fibrous material. It is obtained from peat bogs where mosses and other plants have been decomposing for long periods. Due to its low pH levels, you can use it to grow plants that favour more acidic soils such as camellias or some types of berries.
If you are dealing with a heavier soil type, you need to be extra careful when adding peat moss. Spreading a more significant amount of the organic product can result in your soil holding up too much water. And you know what too much H2O means, right? Exactly drowned plants.
What To Use To Cover Grass Seed
There are several options that you can use to cover freshly spread grass seed over bare earth. Hay and straw are the most popular options because theyre inexpensive and they effectively cover a lot of ground. The downside is that hay and straw usually contains at least a few weed seeds. You may want to use it in conjunction with a pre-emergent herbicide to prevent weed growth.
Peat moss is another option. It doesnt contain weed seeds, but it can prove to be quite messy. However, peat moss is excellent for keeping soil moist and improving soil health.
When To Water The Lawn
If you find your lawn has taken on a grayish cast or appears to be dull green, its telling you that it needs water. You can also check your lawn by walking on it: If your footprints dont disappear quickly, its because the grass blades dont have the needed moisture to spring back. While it may seem like you can head out to water your lawn anytime during the day, your lawn actually needs more specific care. Watering in the morning is the best time for your lawn its cooler and winds tend to be calmer so water can soak into the soil and be absorbed by the grass roots before it can evaporate. If you must water in the evening, try between 4 and 6 p.m. which should give the grass blades time to dry before nightfall. The later you water, the greater chance of disease becoming prevalent in your lawn. Its worth noting, though, that you dont necessarily have to water your lawn. Lawns are resilient. Established and properly cared-for lawns can survive weeks without water by going dormant , then recover once the rain returns.
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How To Increase Water Retention In Front Lawn
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Noah Figg wrote:What about this, Tyler? Is this kind of what you suggest?
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Slow Down The Evaporation With A Little Mulch
It would be a shame to have the precious moisture evaporate after all the watering efforts you have put into your green space. That is where mulching comes in. This method has been known for centuries. Basically, the idea is to trap the moisture in the soil by covering the top layer with a few centimetres of organic matter.
Another benefit you get is that this will prevent the growth of most weeds, and over time the soil will obtain additional nutrients from the decomposing matter. Also, you can opt for artificial decorative mulches which can contribute to the beauty of your garden as they come in all sorts of shapes and colours.
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How To Save A Drought
The long, hot summer of 2012 has createdworst drought conditions
To determine if a lawn is dormant or dead, inspect it down at the soil level. Lawns that have gone dormant will have brown leaves, but the crown at the base of the leaves will still be green, and the roots will have a healthy off-white color. If is lawn is completely dead, the entire plantleaves, crowns, and rootswill be brown and brittle.
If the lawn is in fact dead, your only options are to either reseed or lay sod. But barring that fate, you can help save your troubled or dormant lawn, though it won’t be easy.
How To Water A Lawn During A Summer Heat Wave
Summer, being one of the most extreme seasons of the year after winter, brings with it several dilemmas for lawn owners. Theres the question of how to mow, how to fertilize, how to prevent grass blades from going dormant.
But perhaps, one of the most critical dilemmas they face is the question of how to water. Evaporation, drought and parched lawns are common occurrences associated with the summer season.
When you begin noticing brown patches, your first impulse might be to keep watering your lawn. But overly wet lawns can be a disaster even during the hottest of days.
Irrespective of the burning rays, knowing how to water your lawn can save it this summer and keep it green, lush and healthy.
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Save Water And Keep Your Lawn: Final Thoughts
Choosing low-water alternatives to replace your natural grass is always going to be the best way to immediately reduce your water usage however, if you are not quite ready to give up your grass, you can still save water and feel a little less guilty.
With the water-saving lawn care tips and general landscaping tips mentioned above, you can significantly reduce water waste and get you and your yard on the right track. Even small steps, such as purchasing an inexpensive nozzle for your garden hose or adjusting your sprinkler heads, are steps in the right direction.
How do you save water while maintaining a natural grass lawn?
We would love to hear your tips and tricks!
Use A Variety Of Ways To Deal With Problems
Pest problems that keep coming back are often a sign that your lawn care practices need to change. These changes can include:
- correcting drainage or fertility problems
- adding lime
- increasing mowing height
- removing thatch
For help in dealing with common problems like weeds, pests, and diseases, see Dealing with lawn problems.
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Lawn Watering Requirements With
Early Spring/Late Fall
Average High Temperatures are Less than 70 Degrees F
South Facing Aspects:1/2 inch of water per week
Normal Facing Aspects:1/3 inch of water per week
North Facing Aspects:1/4 inch of water per week
Late Spring/Fall
Average High Temperatures are Between 70-85 Degrees F
South Facing Aspects:1 inch of water per week
Normal Facing Aspects:2/3 inch of water per week
North Facing Aspects:1/2 inch of water per week
Summer
Average High Temperatures are Greater than 85 Degrees F
South Facing Aspects:1 and 1/3 inches of water per week
Normal Facing Aspects:1 inch of water per week
North Facing Aspects:2/3 inch of water per week
Seven Steps To A Water
Xeriscaping, from the Greek word xeros for dry, is the creation of a garden that uses less water than traditional landscaping. You can do this by choosing plants that are drought-tolerant and by using horticultural techniques that use water most efficiently. Taking these steps will reduce your outdoor water use while creating a colorful, natural, yard or garden that is easier and cheaper to maintain.
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Mow At The Right Height
Taller grass shades soil, reducing water evaporation and keeping grass hydrated longer. This also allows grass to grow deeper roots and prevents weeds from growing. Adjust the mower height so that grass grows taller. The ideal height varies with each type of grass, but generally, you should never remove more than a third of the blade. At the same time, make sure grass doesnt get too long as this will stunt growth and cause weeds to grow.
Watch For Wear And Tear
Your lawn can undergo added stress simply from everyday traffic. Children, animals, workers or vehicles can cause significant wear and tear on your grass and the ground underneath. Excess traffic can cause the structure of the plant to become damaged. If you notice damage from traffic on your lawn, be sure to avoid the damaged area until it has the opportunity to recover.
To avoid damage from regular wear and tear, overseed your lawn at the beginning of fall. This will help thicken the lawn for the next season and help repair damage from the current year as well.
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Maintain The Correct Soil Structure
As mentioned above, the structure of the soil is a critical factor when it comes to its water retention properties. That is why you need to do a little digging around and figure out what type of soil best fits your local climate.
But since the focus here is how to increase soil water retention, you probably want to go for a type of soil that has enough pores to hold on to that water. It is safe to say this is the most crucial factor that you need to ensure.
In combination with the methods described above, you will be able to provide the best possible solution for your plants. Another good thing about implementing these strategies is that this will significantly reduce the time you dedicate to watering your growth.
Choose Plants That Fit Your Environment
One of the most effective strategies for maintaining soil moisture at levels that allow plants to thrive is a bit of a cheat: just use plants that are already accustomed to the environment where you are living! Many of us choose plants based on what appeals to us and what looks beautiful, but some of those plants won’t be easy to grow in a hot, dry climate. If instead you choose plants that can already survive and stay hardy under hot and dry conditions, your watering efforts won’t have to be so relentless. The techniques above still apply, but they will work much better and produce a more vibrant garden if the plants in it are already used to the hardships of dry soil.
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Protect Animals And Insects
It is important to protect birds, beneficial insects, earthworms, and other organisms that play an important role in keeping your lawn healthy.
- Birds and predatory insects feed on grubs and other pests.
- Insects, earthworms, beneficial fungi, and other micro-organisms break down thatch and aerate the soil.
The best way to protect these beneficial animals and insects is to only use insecticides and fungicides when absolutely needed. See Understanding your lawn’s lifecycle for more information.
Plant Your Flowers In Small Bunches
Another way to reduce evaporation is by growing your plant friends close to each other. So if you want to grow flowers, make sure to plant them in small bunches. No matter if you are growing decorative plants or vegetable crops, arranging them in groups will create more shade and protect them from the wind, which will help a lot with the evaporation and water retention problem.
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Fertilize Your Lawn And Garden
Fertilizing promotes healthy root growth and provides the nutrients needed for lush, green lawns and healthy plants laden with blooms.
Your lawn needs to be fertilized every 8-10 weeks, starting in early spring. So basically you have 4 applications early spring, late spring, late summer and fall. Be sure to follow the directions on the bag carefully, as too much fertilizer can damage your lawn.
Evergreens, flowering shrubs and ornamental plants should be fertilized twice a year using a slow-release fertilizer.
How Many Inches Of Water Does My Sprinkler System Put Out
To determine how much water your sprinkler system dispenses, use a rain gauge or flat bottom and flat sided container like a Tupperware dish and place it in your lawn. Run your sprinklers as you normally would, i.e. 30 minutes, then measure the water depth. If there is 1/2 inch of water in 30 minutes you need to water 2 days per week in the spring and fall to receive 1 inch of water per week and 3 days per week in the summer to obtain 1.5 inches of water per week.
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Water Your Lawn And Gardens
Every living thing needs water to survive, and your lawn and garden are no exception.
Whether you drag out the garden hose or invest in a smart irrigation system, the best time to water is early morning, before the heat of the day. This gives the roots more time to absorb the water and prevent the water from evaporating.
New plantings and fresh sod need to be watered daily until theyre established. After that an inch a week is all they need overwatering can lead to shallow roots and unhealthy plants.
If you have more questions about watering, see our tips on how to water turf, plants and trees.
Standing Water In Yard After Rain: What Should You Do
In dry climates, our yards and pools can have trouble after a heavy or prolonged period of rain. To get rid of standing water and keep it from coming back, you first need to understand whats causing the problem. Drainage problems in the yard fall into two categories: habit-based or design-based.
Of the two, dealing with a habit-based drainage issue is easier. It essentially means that youre overwatering or have planted in such a way that it encourages pooling.
How do you know if this is the problem?
There are two basic things to try:
What if that doesnt work? Then youre likely dealing with a design-based problem. Typically, that means one of five things:
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Water Your Lawn Deeply And Less Often
Turning your sprinkler on for just a few minutes a few times a week really wont do much to help your lawn. For a healthier lawn, learn to water your grass deeply and less often. If you water infrequently and deeply, the roots of your grass will start to grow deeper down into the soil. This helps your grass stay green during periods of drought or extremely hot weather. Experts recommend that you water your grass with 1 inch of water, once a week. This amount of course can vary depending on your local weather conditions, soil type, grass species, etc.
How do you know if youre watering your plants with 1 inch of water? You can use this simple test. Place a series of shallow containers throughout your lawn and turn your sprinklers on. Keep watering until you measure 1 inch of water in the majority of the containers.
This simple test will also help you determine if your sprinklers are watering your grass evenly. If the depth of the water in the containers varies widely, this may explain patches of drier grass in your yard. In this case youll need to adjust your sprinkler heads. Its also important that you dont over-water your grass.
Youll know when its time to water again when the first 3-4 inches of soil are dry to the touch. Use an electronic soil tester to test the soil moisture, or use a trowel or a screwdriver to open the soil and feel it with your finger. To help your grass retain even more water, you can use water absorbing polymers .
