Keeping the Garden and Landscape Going During Drought
Erie, Colorado area landscaping {Monthly Series: April 2026}
Every decade or so we deal with dry and hot conditions for at least one summer season. 2012, and 2002 were the last two major drought times in Colorado. It can be difficult to navigate the various water restrictions in place for various cities. The main issues we deal with in Erie Colorado landscapes are how to maintain some semblance of a lawn without wasting water. Glacier View is a big fan of and professionals at xeriscape landscape design. Green lawns in Colorado are slowly fading and becoming a thing of the past as the consensus is now that lush green lawns do not belong in the high near desert of Colorado. If you have a lawn and want to keep it, the best advice is to follow the restrictions set in place, usually watering 2 days per week. The goal is a 20% reduction or more in your average monthly water consumption compared to the previous years.
To keep a green lawn in the heat of summer in Colorado, lawns usually need to be watered 4-5 times per week. Any less, and dry spots will appear. That doesn’t mean the lawn is dead, it just goes dormant in the heat of summer because Kentucky Bluegrass is a cool season grass that does best in spring and fall. It is possible to get 4 watering cycles in per week on a two-day schedule. Use the 2 start times on your timer and run the cycle at midnight and 9pm on the two days you are allowed to water. That gets you 4 cycles per week. It still won’t keep the lawn totally green, but it will keep it from dying until we get to a better water year, or you decide to remove most or all of the grass and go toward a more xeric, yet colorful landscape. It can be done. Lawn watering can use up to 80% of the outdoor water usage, whereas drip irrigation and water for trees uses only about 20% give or take. So, by converting to xeric or low water usage perennials, grasses, shrubs and trees, you can still have a lush looking landscape, but use vastly smaller amounts of water than you would on a green lawn. That said, it does cost to convert, but you’ll be doing your part to save the little water we do have. Let us know if we can help.
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