The water crisis facing California is serious and carries imminent environmental, financial and human impacts. Cash incentives are being used in some areas to get homeowners to voluntarily give up their lawns. Before ripping out a lawn or making drastic changes to your landscape, the experts at the National Association of Landscape Professionals advise on the top seven things to consider.
Tip #1: Evaluate what you have. Look at the landscape you have now. Some elements in your landscape may already be drought-friendly, but you may need to change others. Calculate how much water you are using now and how frequently you are watering.
Tip #2: Consider the environmental and human impacts. Lawns and landscapes offer benefits that mitigate drought impacts. Grass cools the air around a home or building, reduces pollution, limits heat islands, suppresses dust, controls soil erosion and sequesters carbon.
Grass also assists in decomposing pollutants, dissipates heat, lowers allergy-related problems, reduces home cooling costs and acts as a fire barrier. Importantly, grass serves as a natural filter to potable water supplies, reducing stormwater runoff and capturing and filtering precipitation.
Tip #3: Educate yourself about how lawns and turfgrass respond during a drought. Most people overwater their lawns and assume that if grass is not green, it may be dying. Grass actually goes into a dormant state during a drought. It may look brown, but it’s not dead. If the crowns and root system are intact and have adequate moisture, grass can sustain itself. Continue reading