green is universal

You Can Lead The Roots to Water...

Dear Mr. Green,

My question is regarding watering the lawn, something we have refrained from doing for years. I know that during a dry spell if your lawn is healthy the roots will survive and go deeper underground, it seems that each spring the grass reappears looking green and healthy. But what is best for Mother Earth? Is it wise to allow the grass to become brown or is it better to water during dry spells?

Greening grandparents in Southern New Jersey

Dear Sunburned Sod,

Here is one instance that brown is the new green! Let's face it, if you have a lawn, aesthetically a green one always looks prettier than a brown one, and probably keeps your neighbors - the Jones's - less cranky.

A pretty lawn is nice to look at but in many situations they're not just sweet on the eyes and soft underfoot, they also serve as a sifter for airborne pollutants that would otherwise be swooshed away and swept into our waterways via the town sewer lines. But for that matter, a brown lawn actually serves that same purpose, so there goes that argument down the drain!

There are many types of grass that are appropriate for a variety of climates and weather conditions but unfortunately not every kind of grass is best for all environments--as far as grass goes, one "size" does not fit all. (And what's-more some ecosystems don't like grass at all!)

Keeping in mind that few turf-type grasses currently growing in America are native to our continent, some sod needs more care and tending and others need less. But - like it or not - they all need watering once in a while. (And have I mentioned lately that only 3% of the water on earth is potable freshwater; the rest is saltwater, and that fresh drinking water supplies are becoming increasingly scarce. Only 20% of the world's population has running water, and more than one billion people do not have any access to clean water at all, so growing a green lawn where there isn't enough rainwater to sustain it becomes an eco-conundrum that you'll have to deal with!)

For the most part (and lucky for the rest of us who need the water more than your grass does) the squishy green stuff can survive with little or no water and only really needs about three-quarters of an inch of water per week to maintain that emerald-green color and lushness that some people (ohh...those Jones's again) covet. But remember, three-quarters of an inch of water per square foot can add up to a vast amount of water depending on the size of your yard.

But when the sun is high in the sky and the rays are beating down, lawns naturally shrivel and sometimes become dormant during those hot-n-hateful dog-days of summer.

And when that happens you'll have every lawn care specialist knocking at your door, but Mother Nature will most probably thank you for letting your grass wither in hot weather. And here's why...when your Kentucky blue-grass starts to freak out and fry above ground - the drought strain below ground actually increases the root activity.

So before you run out and buy six hundred feet of hose, a veritable mountain of sprinklers and soaker attachments, automatic watering timers - blah, blah, blah - decide if you're going to be a water-er or a non-water-er before the heat starts to fry your field--and stick to your guns - those Jones's be damned!

Yo-yoing between watering and not watering is probably the worst thing you can do to grass because interfering with a dormant lawn is like waking Rip Van Winkle before his one hundred year nap is up and then telling him the cupboards are bare. If left snoozing - the grass (much like old Rip) won't even know that it was hungry and will continue to build up its energy for when it wakes up naturally. (Of course rules are always meant to be broken--and freshly seeded areas need to be kept moist until they've rooted.)

And for all you water-ers out there, if you water less, besides a smaller water bill, you'll discover the added extra bonus of natural selection - the grass you've planted not only becomes stronger and dominant, it becomes the Charles Atlas to the 97-pound pesky garden weaklings that make lawn-lovers loony - crab grasses, weeds, dandelions, etc. - they simply don't have a fighting chance to rise through the mighty sod.

In the event that you are a water-er (and you know who you are), there are a few things you can do to reduce the amount of potable water your lawn ends up guzzling. First, you can set up a rain and run-off system to collect the H2O that Mother Nature provides for free, and use that on your grass. Second, if you keep your grass trimmed no less than 1½ inches, you'll probably avoid brown patches. Third use a old-fashioned manual reel mower (According to the California Air Resources Board, lawn mower engines contribute 93 times more smog-forming emissions than cars - and as much as 40 cars in just one hour! And, no...your lawn won't end up looking like a turf mullet.) Third, only mow when the grass is dry and leave the cuttings on the lawn rather than raking them - they'll provide natural nutrients back into the soil, thus eliminating the need for fertilizers. Fourth, if it's gonna' rain don't water your lawn (duh); fifth, steer clear of fertilizers and pesticides when you predict hotter-than-usual weather (Ideally, I suggest that you don't use them at all - they each have a tendency to find their polluting way into our waterways). And finally, don't roll, run, jump or do cartwheels or let the dogs pop and pee on the already stressed lawn. (Imagine yourself being treated that way when you're at your worst!)

Most of all, if your lawn looks dead - it's probably not - your patch of brownness is actually Mother Nature's chic new way of getting a tan.

about mr. green

From re-gifting, re-cycling, to natural cleaning products for your home, Mr. Green has all of your ecotiquette answers. Our Mr. Green (aka. Michael De Jong), is the author of "CLEAN: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing." He lives in Jersey City with his partner (Richard,) dog (Jack,) and three goldfish (Phil, Jill and Gill) all of which benefit from his natural cleaning techniques. De Jong, who cleaned apartments in New York City while working as a fine artist, began researching and inventing many of the recipes in "CLEAN" and is continually experimenting with safe, effective and eco-friendly alternatives. Raised in the mid-West by an immigrant family that valued the environment and re-cycled before it was fashionable, his quest for non-toxic solutions comes naturally to him. He is currently writing a companion series of "CLEAN" books dealing with such topics as the body, first aid, organization, and food, as well as posting a weekly Blog on www.thedailygreen.com. "CLEAN: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing" can be purchased at Barnes & Noble stores across the country or on-line at www.barnesandnoble.com or www.amazon.com.

Click here to send him a question and he'll put in the elbow grease to scrub out the answers!