Science Forums 2

[maikeru]

Water conservation is a serious issue, for everyone, everywhere. Temperatures for the past week have been between 30-35 degrees Celsius, and the sun is hot, hot, hot; the air dry, dry, dry.

Here are some things I'm trying to do to preserve our lawn and our trees, including my fruit trees from dying in the 30-35 C heat (and it should be 40-42 C max soon).

1. Extra organic stuff/mulch on the lawn. When soil has more organic matter and a covering, it'll retain water much better. My lawn has terrible soil--it's too sandy and has little if any humus, making it poor for water retention. For me, this means visiting Starbucks a couple times a week on my shopping trips and getting several pounds of used coffee grounds. These are an easy, abundant source of something akin to leaf litter and mulch. These are scattered by rose bushes, trees, and on the lawn. It makes for a good fertilizer as well. This allows me to...

2. Reduce the amount of watering. I water every couple days in the wee hours of the morning. I see green lawns being watered at noon or in the afternoons by my neighbors. This is terrible. Where I live, early evening is not a good time to water, either. It should be done when the air is cool, the sun is not beating down on the lawn and trees, and evaporation can be more slow and controlled. This means during the night or early morning hours, when temperatures are more around like 15-20 degrees C. Also, watering infrequently encourages the grass to grow their roots deeper, increasing their drought tolerance.

3. Plan to put in more trees and bushes to provide shade. When the lawn gets full exposure to the sun all day long, it requires water all day long too. The only lovely patches of grass in my front and back yards are those by the maple trees. Everything else is yellow or brown. Note to self: increase shaded areas on the property.

4. Might buy crushed/powdered charcoal and spread this on the lawn to create terra preta. Natural processes like rain and earthworms should be able to gradually work the charcoal into the soil, and the charcoal will help increase the water retention and make the lawn greener with less work and water.

5. If I can get some vermicomposting going, I'll add the worm poop to the lawn and trees as well, to help improve their growth and the soil.

I don't like caring for the lawn. I think it's a waste of time and money. I'd much rather grow more fruit trees, grapes, or something I can eat or use. But I am trying to keep it alive to fulfill the city ordinances and to maintain harmony with the neighbors. With the proper planning and care, it should be possible to maintain a pretty decent lawn and to save a lot of water and to cut costs. Look at it as an opportunity to lower your water bill too.