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Establishing a Water-Conserving Bluegrass Lawn Kentucky bluegrass is often maligned as a water hog in the landscape. True, it requires more water than native buffalograss or blue grama. In return it provides a turf that holds up to wear from foot traffic and sports play for more months of the year. It also doesn't need the amount of irrigation water that many people give it. It needs only 26 inches of irrigation during the growing season assuming 10 inches of rain instead of the 35 to 40 inches of irrigation often applied.  A water-conserving bluegrass is one that is deep-rooted. Deep rooted lawns have better access to irrigation water, water that otherwise soaks too deep for a shallow-rooted lawn to take up.  To start a water-conserving bluegrass lawn, proceed as follows: * Time your planting for cool spring or fall weather especially if seeding. Sod may be planted every month of the year but December and January.  It also uses more water for establishment if planted in the heat of summer. * Do apply and mix in an organic soil amendment before planting. Apply 2 inches and mix it in 4 inches deep as a minimum; use 4 inches and till it in 8 inches deep as the preferred soil preparation treatment. Soil amendments include compost, manure, peat or mixtures of the three. * Water newly laid sod well and roll with a lightweight roller to get out the bumps. Lawn rollers are readily available at neighborhood rental stores. Continue regular watering for a couple of weeks until sod roots into the site soil. Avoid constant saturation of the soil that won't allow root growth. Cut back on frequent water after the first couple weeks and then reduce it more over the summer as roots grow deep and the lawn withstands longer periods between irrigations. * Wait until May to begin watering the year after establishment. Let the soil dry to the point where footprints in the grass don't spring back for 30 minutes. This "footprinting" in combination with a change from green to blue-green is an excellent indication of when it is time to water again. * Practice seasonal setbacks by watering less in cool spring and fall weather than in the heat of summer. This is true with watering both by hand and with an automatic irrigation system but especially important if you operate an irrigation controller. With proper management, bluegrass roots will be encouraged to grow deeply for the water they need. A deep rooted lawn not only uses less irrigation, it is more tolerant of dry winters so common along Colorado's Front Range. Improper management and over watering results in shallow rooting that requires more frequent watering and is less tolerant of drought.     • Xeriscape Colorado Home • What Is Xeriscape? • Demo Gardens   • Upcoming Events • Resources & Reference • Articles