So in my last blog post, we went through how to prioritize different areas in your yard as functional turf spaces. Now that you have whittled down the most functional portion of turf to keep, what is the best grass you should use and do you need to rip out your old turf?
Your decision to renovate or replace your existing lawn will depend on if it is in salvageable condition as well as your budget. If you need an immediate lawn, you are limited to the varieties local sod farms carry. However, there has been breeding for several much more drought and heat tolerant varieties of Kentucky Bluegrass (usually Texas hybrids), as well as deep rooted tall fescue. If you can leave your lawn untouched for a minimum of six weeks while seed gets established, you should consider going with the drought tolerant native blends. Pawnee Buttes Seed Inc. (PBSI) is a local supplier (small batches can be purchased from Jax) that offers many different special seed blends adapted for Colorado. I most often recommend the Low Grow Mix or the Low Grow Native Blend, depending on how heavily the lawn will be used. When grown by themselves, these lawns can look great even if they are only watered once a week and can often go as long as three weeks between mowing.
Reducing the size and strategically locating your lawn is the first approach for eliminating turf. If you have an existing lawn you are working with, you can improve its drought tolerance without ripping it all out. If you let your grass grow taller, (provided your municipality/HOA let you) your turf will form deeper roots that access water in a greater portion of the soil profile. This will et you go longer between waterings, reducing the amount of water you use. You can also incorporate more drought tolerant varieties by aerating and overseeding with the low water PBSI blends. They feature varieties like Canada Bluegrass and Arizona Fescue that blend well with existing Kentucky Bluegrass and overtime they will outcompete the Kentucky Bluegrass as you cut back watering. This approach is the most cost effective but takes the longest amount of time as you will need to reseed multiple times throughout the course of the season and continuing seeding over multiple seasons to get the new varieties established. Something else to consider when converting your existing lawn, is that our idea of a homogenous green lawn is a relatively new concept. Prior to the 50's, when fertilizer and selective herbicides became widely available for residential use, it was common to see other plants growing in a lawn. Clover was often added for nitrogen, and volunteers like yarrow or other weeds were allowed to persist as long as they were green. I think eventually we will migrate back towards that blend of biodiversity as society moves more towards sustainability, but your HOA might take a while to catchup.
Choosing the correct turf variety for your remaining lawn space will ultimately aide in your water reduction and maintenance goals. In my next post, we'll discuss options for when you don't want to have to mow turf at all.
Contact me today to discuss the best options for renovating your existing lawn!
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