What the drought spells for your lawn

“We have to do something about this!” my son demanded as we got out of the car. “Do something about what?” I asked. “The grass,” he responded. “Look at this.” I looked down past his size 8 feet and noticed what he was looking at. His obscenely large Osiris shoes were walking on ugly brown grass as we approached our front door. “We will not do something about that” I exclaimed. “When it rains, it will come back!”

This is the baby of our family, the one I would move mountains for, yet I will not water our grass for him. “What you can do though, is go get the hose and water the three hydrangeas and the boxwood by the front door.” Off he ran.

Almost two-thirds of the United States is in a drought. The United States has declared parts of 1000 counties in 26 states disaster areas. The Illinois Farm Bureau, which monitors land all across the states, says it’s the sixth driest year on record so far. Drive a short distance in any direction around Sun City and you will see fields of corn and soybeans that have suffered the effects of the drought. Although I certainly don’t want to have a “sky is falling” mentality, the truth is it a tough time for not only crops, but also the plants in our yards.

Area groups such as ECOmmunity and the Village of Huntley are urging area residents to voluntarily conserve water.

There are many ways you may want to consider conserving water.

Water in the morning

Spread hardwood mulch or mushroom compost on your beds. This helps to retain moisture

Adjust sprinklers so only your lawn is watered and not the house, sidewalk, or street

Check outdoor faucets, sprinklers and hoses for leaks

Check the root zone of your lawn or garden for moisture before watering using a spade or trowel. If it’s still moist two inches under the soil surface, you still have enough water

Rather than following a set watering schedule, check for soil moisture two to three inches below the surface before watering

Use soaker hoses to water shrubs and trees. These hoses apply water directly to the roots where it’s needed.

Water your plants deeply but less frequently to encourage deep root growth and drought tolerance

I recently heard on the radio that a New York legislature was introducing a bill that would ban extra large soft drinks. This is just another in a very long list of reasons why I don’t want to live in New York. Heaven help the person who comes between me and my 32 ounce Diet Coke from McDonald’s every morning. I say that as an introduction to the next paragraph. I may be skating on thin ice with a few of you.

Consider letting your lawn go dormant by adjusting your irrigation system. A healthy lawn of Kentucky bluegrass should be able to survive six weeks without irrigation or rainfall. Some people think “brown is the new green”. Lawn care is tricky though, because it is almost impossible to tell if your lawn is dead or dormant. Turf grasses are very drought tolerant and most of the turf in Sun City should begin to come back once our rainfall amounts increase.

And just for the record, I would move mountains for you too, Mary and Sarah!

Kathleen Carr is the owner of The Growing Scene, Inc., a garden center and landscaping company. She can be reached by calling 815-923-7322 or tgsinc12@msn.com Have a gardening question? Please contact her. She will address it in an upcoming column.

---