What should I do about my backyard lawn?

Question

I'm not watering it, due to the drought (I'm in CA). My husband thinks we should water it occasionally, so it won't die, but unless we water it a lot, it looks brown anyway. Will it stay alive even though it's brown, if we water it about once a week? Or are we better off just letting it go until the drought's over (whenever that might be)?

Answer 1

You know the discharge hose on you washing machine? connect a garden hose to it and place the other end in your garden. Wash all the cloths you want. keep moving the hose every few days so it waters the whole yard

Answer 2

What is keeping you from watering the lawn appropriately? Watering restriction order from the city? High water bill? or time?

There is no way one can tell when the drought will be over. George and the South have been in drought condition over 10 years.

The proper way to water the lawn is fewer times but longer each time. Depending on the temerpature, humidity and the type of soil you have, you might need to water the lawn at least once or twice a week. With clay soil, and the draough resistant St. Augustine we have in Gulf Coast Texas, some people can water their lawn once a week during the hot summer here and the lawn are still ok (but you can tell the grass are under stress). As for the watering, you want to water deep and less frequent (definitely not every day) and encourage the root to grow deeper into the soil. This make them more drought tolerate. The worst is water everyday for a short time. The root will stay near right under the surface. Don't water during the middle of the day or in the afternoon. With the heat, most of the water will be lost in evaporation before they get a chance to soak into the soil. The best time is before dawn. Watering in the evening is fine on ocassion but the water leave on the leave all night with the lower temperature can often develop fungus and other disease.

Answer 3

leave it as it is if you cant afford to water it. during rainy season it will come up it self.

Answer 4

If you have a big lawn, i would cement or install decorative bricks and just leave a small area for your lawn and then you can water it as much as you can to make it greener, without being guilty of wasting water.  That's what we did on ours, it's pretty.

Answer 5

Some grass varieties can survice severe drought and go into somewhat of a dormant state.  However, most residential ryegrasses and fescues are cool-season grasses and can die (like any plant) from drought stress.  

The turf is only as good as the irrigation system under it.  If the system is unable to properly cover the lawn, then I would say let, it go, save the water and $$$$ on renovating your irrigation system.  Sod is relatively inexpensive as compared to the maintenance, water, etc.  

I can understand the expense of water, but if the lawn is in decent shape, otherwise- that you ought to save it.  Program your timer for at least 3-4 days a week and avoid ANY day use.  The best time to water is at night in California because with cooler night temps the water actually has a chance to percolate downward and settle deep before the high temperatures of day begin to remove it (evaporate).  Set your timer for about 8pm

Drought over?  Not likely, we're getting warmer each year!

Answer 6

Depending on what plants they are they might not. And due to them already browned up, they really might not.