Lawn Care Tips
Turfgrass can be part of a water-efficient landscape with the right plant selection and management. Here are a few easy steps that can create your own healthy lawn while saving water outdoors and on your utility bill:
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Set your mower blades to 3 inches; taller grass helps retain moisture and will promote longer and deeper roots.
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Most lawns tend to be overwatered. If you leave footprints when walking on your lawn, it’s time to water. Water summer lawns every three days and winter lawns every five days, and consider hand-watering dry spots instead of running the entire system.
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Grass clippings are a good source of natural fertilizer. If you do add fertilizer, use the minimum amount of fertilizer necessary, as it can increase water consumption.
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Aerate the soil to allow for more air and water to mix and maintain soil health.
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Regularly remove weeds to prevent competition for nutrients and water.
Other Resources:
Removing Your Lawn
There are many effective ways to removing your lawn and making room to create a water wise garden. Before you begin your project, the Solano County Water Agency has a turf removal rebate to help with the cost. Please note that you will need to apply and receive approval BEFORE removing your lawn. To learn more about this rebate and how to apply, click here.
Choosing a method will depend on your site to help determine which of the following method or combination will work best for you.
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Sheet Mulching: If you are looking to improve soil health sheet mulching is a great way to do so. The process involves layers of mulch, compost, and cardboard. This process will suffocate the grass by preventing air and sunlight to get through. Click here to learn how to do this method.
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PROS: Improves soil health, no chemicals are used, not dependent on weather, best for organic matter, simple and effective, minimizes weeds, no gas emissions, no hauling of left over green waste, can be done anytime of the year
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CONS: can take several months, least effective method for Bermuda grass, large lawns will require a lot of materials, may not work well on steep slopes.
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Physical Removal: Remove the lawn with a tiller, sod cutter or grubbing hoe. This method will provide the fastest results as you will be able to begin preparing the soil for planting. There is risk of removing valuable top soil and may require to replace some of the organic matter that was removed.
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PROS: Fast removal and immediate results, no chemicals used, planting can begin immediately
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CONS: Most labor intensive method, requires specific tools that can increase project costs, difficult on rocky, wet or clay soils, can turn up weeds
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Solarization: Best done in the summer, this process requires a lot of direct sunlight and a layer of plastic over grass for about 6-8 weeks. This method will cook the soil as it traps the heat. Killing the grass, weeds or seeds that are in the soil.
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PROS: Few resources needed, sterilizes top 1 – 1 ½ “of soil so several years of weed seed bank destroyed
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CONS: Uses plastic that is left over after the process, may kill beneficial insects under the intense heat, not attractive, depends on the weather, not effective at eliminating burr clover, vetch, sweet clover, nut sedges, Bermuda grass, or bindweed
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Chemical: Applying herbicides to your grass will kill everything around it. Generally not recommended as it kills organic matter in the area. While other methods should be considered before choosing to use chemicals for turf removal, it can help remove turf and weeds that are often very difficult to eliminate.
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PROS: Most effective on tenacious grasses like Bermuda grass, fast results
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CONS: May need more than one application, kills beneficial insects, uses toxic chemicals, can negatively impact soil health, rain can wash these chemicals into our storm drains, wind can blow the pesticides outside the target zone, you may need to remove the dead grass and weeds
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