Why drought conditions needn’t mean disaster for your lawn

NEWS RELEASE

Media contacts:  Andrew Marsh, tel: 0121 345 1005 or 07778 160803
Karrie Milestone, tel: 0121 345 1007

CCWater 13/07         23 April 2007

 

Why drought conditions needn’t mean disaster for your lawn

Whether you live in the town, city or countryside, your green and lush gardens can take a bit of a battering through the summer months when a combination of hot summer sun and lack of rainfall can mean plots are left looking more like a bed of straw than an envied emerald carpet.
To counteract this, you might be tempted to use a hosepipe or sprinkler system to ensure lawns are given a good soaking so they look their glorious best surrounded by a riot of colourful plants and flowers.
But this might not be the best idea.
The watering of established lawns is not only wasteful and unnecessary; it can also cause many common lawn problems.
If there is a drought, don’t worry if your lawn goes brown – this is the natural survival mechanism of grass stopping all growth until more favourable conditions return.
During any dry spell remember:
• If you use your hosepipe or sprinkler system for one hour you will use as much as one person does on average in a whole week.
• Watering encourages shallow rooting, which in turn means the lawn is more at risk during dry conditions – so once you start watering, you can’t stop.
• Watering increases the chance of disease on your lawn and most lawn diseases thrive in warm, damp conditions.
• Damp soils are easily damaged by compaction during heavy use such as playing games on the lawns or holding barbeques.
• Watering encourages the spread of weed grass and annual meadow grass.
Dame Yve Buckland said: “Your lawn is more resilient than you think, and as long as you follow a few basic rules, most lawns will recover completely when rain begins to fall again.”

 

Notes for editors
1. The Consumer Council for Water will campaign throughout the spring for consumers to minimise waste, and for the water industry and other agencies to build on their receptiveness by helping them to make savings of 5 to 10 litres a day on their current consumption. Visit our water-saving area at the following location,  http://www.ccwater.org.uk/server.php?show=nav.45
2. The Consumer Council for Water (CCWater) represents consumers in England and Wales. Consumers can contact CCWater on a national number, 0845 039 2837.
3. CCWater is the statutory water consumer body, and operates as a non-departmental public body reporting to the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Welsh Assembly Government. It has a committee for Wales, and at local level it is supported by nine regional committees in England.

Media enquiries to Andrew Marsh on 0121 345 1005 / 07778 160803 (out of hours) or Karrie Milestone on 0121 345 1007.
Public enquiries to CCWater’s national number, 0845 039 2837 – or email at enquiries@ccwater.org.uk