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Being water wise is becoming a bigger priority. High temperatures and drought have gripped the SLC area yet again this summer, leaving some landscapes parched and dried out — and water conservation has emerged as a hot topic. Across the country, communities are already in or at risk of drought conditions, which makes it essential for all of us to consider ways to reduce the amount of water we use.
At the same time, lawns can become especially thirsty when the heat rises and care strategies don’t keep up. We believe you can have a beautiful lawn and preserve water at the same time. Here are a few commercial lawn maintenance tips for keeping your property green and lush while conserving one of Earth’s most precious resources.
Understand the Needs of Your Grass Type
The type of grass you have comes with unique watering requirements to be aware of, and if you water too much or too little, it will die. Have you chosen a grass type that thrives in your region? If not, you may require a little extra maintenance and supplemental water to keep your grass green. Know whether you have cool or warm-season grass and how it responds to times of drought.
Maintain Your Irrigation System Regularly
Smart commercial building water usage starts with regular tuneups of your sprinkler and irrigation arrays. In many cases, broken sprinkler heads, clogged lines, or other common defects waste water and prevent it from getting where it needs to go. These issues can be fixed with basic maintenance. If you really want to be ahead of the curve, you can also opt for a smart watering system from SmartRain. With moisture, rain and irrigation flow sensors, you’ll never need to worry about over- or under-watering your business or residential lawn.
Water Wise at the Right Time of Day
It’s wise to give your property a watering when it can do the most good. Try not to water in the middle of a hot, sunny day, as most of the water will evaporate instead of sinking into the grass. Some choose to run their sprinklers in the early morning or late in the evening to maximize their water usage. Watering is best in the cooler hours before 9 AM or after 7 PM. Avoid watering when temperatures drop below 40 degrees.
Water Wise Deeply, Evenly, and Infrequently
When seeking to increase water efficiency in your buildings, it’s important to remember that pooling water and shallow irrigation sessions do little for the overall health of your lawn. The goal is to deposit about an inch of water across your whole expanse of lawn. If some spaces are receiving more or less, you might end up with a splotchy lawn. You should water wise deeply, evenly, and infrequently so that the roots of the grass experience stress, which will cause them to grow deeper in-between watering sessions. If water starts to pool, turn off the sprinklers and allow the lawn to absorb it before continuing. Continue this until the lawn has been watered an inch deep.
Pick Up Litter Around Your Property
Litter isn’t only unsightly, but it can also cause dead patches on your lawn if it sits on the grass for too long. To maintain a greener commercial lawn, make sure you do regular sweeps of your premises to look for garbage laying on the ground.
Keep People Off of the Grass
Depending on the type of facility you manage, it may not be practical or possible to keep people off the grass. If you can, though, you will avoid the bare spots caused by constant foot traffic. Be careful about how much stress you put on your grass and never drive cars or machinery over it. Considering the sue of your grass is very water wise.
Clean Up After Animals
If your property is regularly visited by four-legged friends, it’s more than likely that they will relieve themselves on your grass at some point. Unfortunately, urine and waste can cause dead patches. If you don’t want to prohibit animals from your property altogether, be water wise and diligently clean up after cats and dogs if their owners don’t do it themselves.
Cut to the Optimum Mowing Height
During the scorching summer months, it’s important that you don’t cut your grass too short to be water wise. If the grass is too short, the sun will turn it brown more quickly. Even worse, it can kill the root system and cause diseases. To be water wise, it is recommended that you cut a third of the grass length or less each time to keep the soil moist and promote deeper growth.
Don't Use a Timer
Yes, you heard right! Using a timer doesn’t account for the state of your lawn and is current needs, which isn't water wise. Instead, opt for a smart irrigation system from Smart Rain that can monitor the soil and account for current weather conditions in determining when and how much water to disburse. Our controllers do all the work for you!
Additional Tips
Most car shampoos use phosphates similar to those found in many lawn fertilizers, so you can wash your commercial vehicles where the grass can catch the runoff.
Water wise: Only water your lawn when necessary — not during rainy periods.
Choose native plants that don’t require a large amount of water and maintenance to stay healthy.
Collect rainwater in buckets and use it to water plants.
Make sure mulch isn’t crusted over so water can penetrate to the roots of plants.
Learn About Smart Irrigation Solutions Today
These are just a few things we recommend for keeping a healthy landscape in the summer months. For more ideas, give us a call or visit our website to learn about smart irrigation solutions.
