GREEN Initiative


Special Feature #3

monthly lawn TIPS

The GREEN initiative is pleased to partner with a Kansas State Research and Extension center through the Johnson County extension office in Olathe, Kansas.  Each month the County extension agent Chelsey Wasem will provide interesting and educational green articles and monthly healthy lawn tips.

For additional information you can contact the Kansas State Research and Extension center in Johnson County through Chelsey Wasem at Chelsey.Wasem@jocogov.org

May Healthy Lawn Tip: Delay Watering Your Lawn in May

Delay watering your lawn in May.  Mother Nature tends to provide enough free irrigation throughout the spring.  Waiting to water encourages grass roots to grow deeper, creating a more drought resistant, healthy lawn.

If you are going to water, the best time to do so is in early morning between 4 and 10 a.m.  At this time of day, water pressure is better, winds are milder, and more water will make it to the soil instead of evaporating.

When summer arrives, water deep and infrequently.  Cool season lawns like Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue need about 1 to 1 ½ inches of water per week.  Use a screwdriver or probe to test your lawn.  If it goes in easily to a depth of 6 to 8 inches, there is plenty of moisture in the soil.  If it’s a struggle to push it in, you probably need to give your lawn more water.

Adjust your sprinklers so they are only watering the lawn, not the pavement.  Not only will this prevent water from being wasted, but prevent fertilizers and other chemicals from flowing into the stormwater system, which does not get treated before heading to streams and lakes.

Join in with your neighbors. For more information on this month’s Healthy Lawn Tip, visit the Johnson County Extension website at www.johnson.ksu.edu and click on the Healthy Lawns logo or call our Gardening Hotline at 913-715-7050.