#37 Caring for Mother Earth: To Water Grass ... or Not

Greetings, readers. Coincidentally, this post about watering lawns is timely, since today in Florida, where I live, we will be hit by Tropical Storm Debby, which will dump a whole lot of rain on the state. At our house, we’re securing backyard chairs and stuff and hunkering down.

In any case, today my friend Peggy shares how to take care of grass—the kind that lawns are made of, not the “other” kind.

Did I tell you she is an alumna of Rollins College, graduating back in the 1950s? She was a music major who arrived as a freshman right after Mr. Rogers graduated! Next month, she celebrates her 91st birthday. Peggy has authored more than ten books on topics about nature, such as Florida’s edible plants. Check them out on her website: https://peggysiaslantz.com.

Caring for Grass

by Peggy Lantz

One summer when Don [Peggy’s late husband] and I were living in Titusville, I was caring for babies and Don was working all kinds of hours, day or night. The St. Augustine grass that had been planted around our new house grew all by itself and had little care from us. A neighborhood lad occasionally mowed it and edged the sidewalk for us.

Finally we had time for a bit of a vacation. And while we were gone it didn’t rain and didn’t rain and didn’t rain. When we came home, the neighbors’ lawns were wilted and brown, but ours was fine. Long and unmowed, but green and fine.

To water or not to water

I have a theory. My neighbor on Lake Lucy Drive cares for his lawn avidly. Fertilizes, waters, mows, etc. Has tall oak trees, which he had thinned drastically a few years ago to be sure they wouldn’t be blown over in a storm. But when Hurricane Ian blew in, his tree fell and cleaved his garage to the concrete.

A very large tree close to the edge of Lake Lucy came down during Hurricane Ian., its roots pulled out of the muddy, water-soaked ground by its weight.

I think my lawn in Titusville survived because we had not watered it, and it had to grow deep roots to find the water it needed, and it did, even during a prolonged drought.

I think the tree on my neighbor’s yard fell because it had always received all the water it wanted while the lawn was getting watered without having to do any work to get it. It never grew a good supporting root system.

My tree close to the lake never had to grow deep roots either, because the ground around it was always wet.

Watering in winter or summer

Now [winter months] is the time of year when usually less rain falls, though this year’s rain patterns have been badly warped. But this shouldn’t mean that you need to water more, because this is the time when your grass and plants need to rest. Because the days are shorter, there is less sunshine, and sunshine is what makes food for plants. With their food supply reduced, they stop growing. They need time to rest and recharge, just like we do. Don’t force them to grow by flooding them with water.

I humbly suggest that you not water at all, summer or winter, unless you actually can see that the leaves of your shrubs or blades of grass are wilting, and then water just enough to see them lift their heads again.

Then you can sit and enjoy reading a book while watching your grass and shrubs grow, and maybe feel a little more confident that your trees are securely rooted.

—END—

Thanks for reading!

Your writer on the wing,

Charlene