Last Updated on August 29, 2023 by ILGM Ninjas
I’m sure that you have seen it recently, the articles in the media encouraging neighbors to rat on their neighbors for wasting water. I hate to use the word rat as they are pretty cool animals, so I will not depict them in a negative light but you get the meaning so I will use it. Let me start by saying no one wants to waste water but no one is talking about how to maximize water. Let me lay this on you, let’s keep the busybody neighbor’s mouths shut by watering smart. Here is how to do it:
- Water deep and infrequently. If you get that water down 4-6 inches you will get it to the roots and train your roots to go deep into the soil, minimizing heat stress. If you are watering deep twice per week you do not need to water 3 and 4 times per week, trust me it works!
- Water at night. Start watering when it gets dark or after midnight. Those Karens are really tired from micromanaging so they have to go to bed early. This will help you avoid them and more importantly, minimize water evaporation as there is less heat and wind during nighttime hours.
- Add carbon to your soil! For every 1% of organic matter you add to your soil you will DOUBLE the water carrying capacity of your soil! There is a relationship between carbon and the soil that is not being talked about. There is a hard way of doing this (with a shovel, wheelbarrow and a truck and there is an easier way to do it (with a backpack sprayer).
- If you have trouble with a compacted soil and get runoff after 5 minutes or have thick thatch the prohibits water from getting into the soil to begin with it is because you have a dead soil and this needs to be fixed STAT! Read more here:
https://www.springslawns.com/welcome-to-biology-welcome-to-the-past/
https://www.springslawns.com/our-biological-method/
https://www.springslawns.com/the-formula-of-what-you-are-losing-cw30apt/
Remember that water is a means of moving nutrients through a plant so it can grow and heal. If this is not happening your grass will be prone to stress, disease and death. If you enable the plant to be healthy it will use less resources, be healthier and look better too. So in the meantime enjoy all of the free rain because there is absolutely no shortage of water right now but do learn how to win in the war on water because there are far too many Karens out there that will sell you out for a gold star on their fridge. Watering doesn’t have to be hard and you don’t have to be a victim or have a bad looking lawn.