Round Rock is now at mandatory Stage 2 watering...only 2 days a week depending on your address. That's about all I was doing anyway in the front. I've completely given up on my back yard except for what has survived in my garden.
Sounds like you need to learn a little about San Augustine grass. It is not possible to keep it healthy and green without approx 1.5" of water/week. Maybe you also shouldn't assume I am wasting "thousands" of gallons. The people in my neighborhood will be spending around $2k next year to re sod their lawn and I hopefully will not have to.
Instead of all this cat and mouse game re: watering, what the authorites should do to really enforce water conservation is to simply modify the pricing of water: The initial X gallens of water will be priced at the current, heavily subsidized rate. With the "X" to be set at a reasonable amount per person in the household. After that, the per gallon cost jumps dramatically.
Unless there is some type of grass call "San Antonio" I have never heard of my guess is you have no clue WTF you are talking about. 1.5" of water per week is crazy and is in fact thousands of gallons of water (per week) why should i assume you are not wasting it? You are dumping water on grass to keep it alive to hide the other faults in your lawn care. I assume your neighbors are likewise as clueless.
I don't know about households and private usage, whatever, but here in the Austin area the water supply predominantly goes to rice farmers. The percentage used for residential use is a small one. LCRA mismanages the resource they have been entrusted and paid to protect, and makes money doing so. If the levels get low enough, they get to charge EXTRA! wooot! There is some incentive to protect, eh? And let me tell ya, charging me more for my water because the subsidized rice farmers are using it all up is not going to sit well with me any more than expecting me to not water my yard to save water while they drain Travis from Mansfield to keep Lake Austin at a constant level and keep the rice paddies full (not because they need a flooding amount of water to grow, but because it keeps the rice from being destroyed by pests, from what I understand). That said, I don't water my rural yard at all. I feel badly for anyone putting up with an HOA that is hassling people over dead yards while paying police to keep "lawbreakers" in line regarding watering. HOA's are the devil, imo.
Sorry ahole, I meant Saint Augustine. http://www.gardenguides.com/117690-water-st-augustine-grass.html How to Water St. Augustine Grass Buy Grass SeedOverview St. Augustine grass is native to the Gulf of Mexico area and the coast of the Mediterranean. It is able to thrive in a variety of soil conditions and is shade-tolerant. What St. Augustine grass cannot tolerate is drought. During dry summer months this grass type will need supplemental irrigation to stay healthy and green. Mowing height for St. Augustine grass is recommended at 3 1/2 to 4 inches, to help shade the roots and avoid dehydration. Step 1 Water St. Augustine grass sparingly during the spring. Step 2 Irrigate newly-laid St. Augustine sod immediately after installation and several times a day, lightly, for the first 7 to 10 days. Step 3 Water new sod or seed with 1/4 to 1/2 inch of water, once a day, for the next week. Begin this watering schedule once the grass' roots have established themselves. Step 4 Irrigate the grass two to three times per week, with 1/4 to 1/2 inch of water, for the following three to four weeks. Step 5 Water established lawns on an "as-needed" basis only, to promote a strong, healthy root system. The grass should receive 1 to 1 1/2 inch of water per week, including what it receives through rainfall.
Time to charge the rice farmers more, then. If it economically doesn't make sense for rice to be grown around Austin under current conditions, then lets stop growing rice around Austin for the duration of the drought. It's not like there will be imminent famine if you do this. You can always pay the farmers some money during this time if you want to maintain some ecnomic stability.
Good site, I believe Casey previously said to just keep the grass higher, and it will be ok. Maybe a mixture of both bits of advice would do? DD
They do that in Austin already, my water goes up with more usage..... I think a rainwater recapture system may be in the cards at the DD household soon. DD
Congrats, you found an idiot on the internet that wrote some moronic stuff. Although her credentials seem impeccable. If you water like that, your grass will never establish a deep root system and will turn brown at the slightest hint of a drought. Watering deep makes the roots grow deep looking for water. also who is the ahole? The person who dumps thousands of gallons of precious water per week onto the ground for no purpose is in my book. You could fix your lawn care procedures and save tons of water (and less importantly your money) or you can stick your fingers in your ears and scream you are right even louder.
No, no, nothing like that. It just struck me as funny that 2 guys are launching lawn-care insults at each other via the internet. But don't stop. I've been mowing high and watering only twice a week for a few months now and I've definitely noticed a difference in my lawn. It's gone from yellow to green. Still not where I want it to be yet, but getting there.
My parents swear by these: http://www.amazon.com/Algreen-81002...JLI6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1313524347&sr=8-1
When it cools off get some good compost down and next year it will be a world of difference. Also make sure to fertilize with quality product this fall. Fall fertilizer builds your yard for next season.
I don't understand why there is so much St Augustine in Austin. Bermuda requires one third the amount of water. That's what I am putting in the backyard once this drought is over.
seriously, majority of the homes in houston have st. augustine... WHY?? i want bermuda, its like golf course grass
