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Kentucky Bluegrass lawns are heavy water users. To be water efficient, the lawn should be planted only where it is functional, such as in a play area. Lawns and turf grass shouldn’t be treated as a fill-in or groundcover material. Rather it should be planned to serve a practical purpose: Providing a resilient, soft and cooling surface for active play or seating areas. For all the other applications there are better choices. Alternatives to turf grass lawns include water efficient grasses, groundcovers and shrubs as well as mulched areas, decks and paved surfaces.

Where a neat trimmed look of grass is desired, but the durability of a turf type lawn isn’t needed, other grasses, such as Buffalograss, Blue Grama Grass and Crested Wheatgrass require minimal irrigation and mowing.

For naturalized grass areas there are reclamation seed mixes suitable for hydroseed application. These are mixed in a slurry containing water, seed, mulch, fertilizer and green colouring and are sprayed on the ground. Application is done when weather is favorable for germination (late fall or early spring) No irrigation or mowing is needed.

Where lawns are needed, provide topsoil to a depth of 15 cm (5 to 6 inches ) This will allow for deep rooting. With an established lawn, water thoroughly but less frequently to maintain the deep roots needed for a healthy, drought tolerant lawn. Mowing height and fertilizing also effect root development. Follow the guidelines in Section – Appropriate Maintenance.