In a desert such as Utah, which is experiencing one of its more historically sweltering summers, keeping one’s vegetation alive and thriving can be a real trial. While hiring competent lawn care services to come and provide grass maintenance is essential — after all, professionals like those at Lawngevity will know what every type of problem needs in order to bounce back to full health — there is still downtime in between service calls.
That downtime is your time to shine as the homeowner. The way you engage in lawn service — how often, what time of day, and with what tools — will either be a total detriment toward the efforts of the team you hired or will be the perfect support to ensure everything remains healthy. In light of the oppressive heat that currently has taken hold of our days and nights, the biggest challenge in keeping your grass, shrubs, trees, and flower beds looking green and healthy will be doing so while also being conscientious of your water usage and abandoning all efforts at conservation.
A Result We Must Strive Towards
Gone are the days (if we ever had them to begin with) of being able to give lawn care service without paying any thought towards how much water we were using, or the state of Utah’s water levels. With droughts affecting states like California seemingly every year, it will take a concerted effort for us not to become the next casualty of this prolonged “dry spell.” The fact of the matter is that water conservation can and must be one of our top priorities when starting our daily or weekly grass maintenance regimen or we may find ourselves in a years-long battle for hydration.
Drought — The Global Disaster
What is it about drought that makes it so incessantly difficult and why can’t we just rely on the next good rainstorm to clear up the worst of it? It’s true that drought, as has been mentioned elsewhere, is known as the “creeping disaster,” thanks to the complete lack of dramatic foreshadowing that catastrophes like hurricanes and tsunamis have. Indeed, it’s hard to know whether the next shortage of moisture — either through a lack of rainfall, low reservoirs, or minimal groundwater — will become prolonged enough to be classified as a drought.
The impact of drought is felt all over the world, with some of the most extreme results changing particular biomes forever.
- In 2009, hundreds of elephants died of thirst and exposure in Kenya due to drought. This was repeated in 2017.
- Australia endured its driest (and hottest) year on record in 2018, which led to the infamous bushfires of 2019-2020. These fires emitted over 590 million tons of carbon dioxide, killed or displaced over 3 billion terrestrial vertebrates (including 8,000 koalas), and destroyed ancient rock art.
- Water shortages affect over 40% of the world’s population and will likely displace over 700 million people within the next decade.
Lawn Service and You
So, how can we in Utah do our part to help? In lieu of donating money and flying to affected regions of the world, we can take care of our own homes right here and ensure that our state remains drought-free and vegetation-rich. We at Lawngevity have plenty of tips and resources to help you keep your yard beautiful and our water supply ample. As we continue into the summer, it’s important to remember:
- Don’t over-water: There is such a thing as too much water. Just like with humans, if plant roots spend too much time underwater they risk suffocating due to a lack of oxygen. Ironically, if the roots become damaged, they won’t be able to distribute the water to the rest of the plant.
- Sunrise, Sunset: There is also a right and a wrong time to water your lawn. Most people know that watering in the heat of the day is not the best move as it causes quick evaporation and damages the plants, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that watering in the pitch-black night is the right call, either. Instead, dawn and dusk are the best times to take advantage of the sun’s nutrients without the sun’s heat.
- Don’t forget to weed: Weeds are difficult little pests in that they steal resources that other plants could use to stay healthy. Weeds will steal water and nutrients, suffocating the grass and flowers through unintended neglect. It’s best to ask lawn care services like Lawngevity about getting on a fertilizing schedule that will help with weed control.
- Mow higher: Longer grass holds more water and provides shade for roots. A lawn can be a bit on the long side without looking like a jungle and your greenery will appreciate it. Make sure to set the mower height accordingly before your next lawn service.