Do you water your lawn?

[luuknam]

So we should only engage in behaviors that are moral imperatives? No one should engage in behaviors that merely bring beauty or pleasure? That could have pretty significant ramifications; no one should have children, for example, as there is no moral imperative to do so.

 

If no one has children, then who is going to take care of the elderly (at some point most of us will be elderly). Are we all going to keep working until we all die and the human race ceases to exist? Because I would like someone to work at the power plant, the water plant, the store, etc when I'm 70 or 80 or 90 or w/e, and I'd rather it not be me.

 

In some areas, watering grass is no big deal. In other areas, watering grass is contributing to an environmental disaster. Unfortunately, the areas where watering grass is no big deal tend to be the areas where there is enough rainfall to not need to water the grass, and the areas where you need to water grass are the ones where you really shouldn't (the southwestern states).

[Bluegoat]

So we should only engage in behaviors that are moral imperatives? No one should engage in behaviors that merely bring beauty or pleasure? That could have pretty significant ramifications; no one should have children, for example, as there is no moral imperative to do so, and certainly population is a strain on the planet. We should all forego painting our houses or owning more than two changes of clothes or, heck, showering more than about twice a year. Dig a pit toilet if you really want to tread lightly. Fortunately, I live in an area with ample water and can use my share of that water to bring beauty to my street.

 

That lawn-waterers are being labeled as "silly" and enemies of the planet is ridiculous. The worst thing we do for the earth is have kids, something 99% of us have done, so let's not be talking in such absolutes.

 

Actually I think people have too much stuff like clothes, and composting toilets are a much better idea in many cases than systems that flush waste away with water.  We don't live sustainably and it is going to affect our children's lives and especially our grandchildren's.

 

I don't have anything against aesthetics, but water is a precious commodity in many places, and people are emptying aquifers that took thousands of years to create very quickly.  It just doesn't make sense to treat it so casually - especially when it is because some HOA is the one dictating what looks good and they have the aesthetic sense of a turnip anyway. 

[plansrme]

If no one has children, then who is going to take care of the elderly (at some point most of us will be elderly). Are we all going to keep working until we all die and the human race ceases to exist? Because I would like someone to work at the power plant, the water plant, the store, etc when I'm 70 or 80 or 90 or w/e, and I'd rather it not be me.

 

In some areas, watering grass is no big deal. In other areas, watering grass is contributing to an environmental disaster. Unfortunately, the areas where watering grass is no big deal tend to be the areas where there is enough rainfall to not need to water the grass, and the areas where you need to water grass are the ones where you really shouldn't (the southwestern states).

I agree that in some (perhaps most) areas, watering is no big deal, but the couple of posts broadly condemning grass waterers made no such distinction.

[plansrme]

Actually I think people have too much stuff like clothes, and composting toilets are a much better idea in many cases than systems that flush waste away with water. We don't live sustainably and it is going to affect our children's lives and especially our grandchildren's.

 

I don't have anything against aesthetics, but water is a precious commodity in many places, and people are emptying aquifers that took thousands of years to create very quickly. It just doesn't make sense to treat it so casually - especially when it is because some HOA is the one dictating what looks good and they have the aesthetic sense of a turnip anyway.

"In many places," yes, but that is not the assertion to which I was responding.

[barnwife]

Well, we watered the grass we put in this year a couple times (a small patch). But otherwise no. We do water our vegetable garden.

Our grass (and weeds) grow quite fast enough without watering. There is no way I am helping them to grow any faster.

[Mimm]

Haven't read the thread but... no. Watering my lawn? That's like... asking it grow. My husband hates mowing. It would be like him pulling dishes out the cupboard and licking them and leaving them on the counter for me to wash.

 

I water the vegetable garden. Not this overly wet summer but in the past I have.

[IfIOnly]

We rent, so we have to water our grass. I enjoy having a large, beautiful backyard though for neighbor kids to come and play together and enjoy their summer in. Thankfully, we only have to water about a quarter of the year or so. Also, there's plenty of water where we live and water prices aren't that bad. It is hot here in the summer though, so if we didn't water the grass would die. In fact, we have a couple areas where the sprinklers cant get and the grass there has died.

[BarbecueMom]

A few times a week, I hand my children the hose, go back inside, shut the door, and dig out the stash of Emergency Stress Chocolate.

 

I think some parts of the yard get water.

[StartingOver]

Several days a week. I love a beautiful green yard. My recharge time is standing in the yard with house in hand. Lol My street is so quiet, and the kids find something else to do. We get charged a minimum for water here, never went over it.

[Serenade]

No.

 

Only cultivated trees, plants and flowers get water.  

 

We have a well, so we couldn't do a lot of high-power watering anyhow, but even if we could, I still wouldn't water the lawn.  

 

 

[Desert Strawberry]

We didn't in Louisiana. There was too much rain. 

Now we are in the desert. Our landscaping is officially called "natural desert"  :lol: 
 

So no. We don't water anything. 

A couple of my neighbors have small, sad, patches of grass that they water regularly. It's ridiculous. One was trying to convince me to spread manure (from the back pasture) and water regularly and "Grass will grow!" Uh, thanks. I'll pass.

Then they were both complaining that the rabbits eat the grass! Haha! The only reason I would grow grass is to attract the bunnies. 

[KungFuPanda]

So we should only engage in behaviors that are moral imperatives? No one should engage in behaviors that merely bring beauty or pleasure? That could have pretty significant ramifications; no one should have children, for example, as there is no moral imperative to do so, and certainly population is a strain on the planet. We should all forego painting our houses or owning more than two changes of clothes or, heck, showering more than about twice a year. Dig a pit toilet if you really want to tread lightly. Fortunately, I live in an area with ample water and can use my share of that water to bring beauty to my street.

 

That lawn-waterers are being labeled as "silly" and enemies of the planet is ridiculous. The worst thing we do for the earth is have kids, something 99% of us have done, so let's not be talking in such absolutes.

If grass is your passion, then water away. I don't begrudge anyone's sense of artistry. Most people, however, have given no thought to whether or not they want a lawn or why. It's an inherited habit. It IS a bit silly to do something for no other reason than "It's always been done this way." What if planting something other than grass serves your needs just as well AND uses less water? It's worth considering, and if enough people consider it and make a change, the conversation is worth having. If a well-watered lawn is what keeps you from going off on people, you probably should water your lawn.

[Guest]

Of course we water - I wasn't aware you could do without it if you wanted any semblance of a decent yard that had landscaping :). It was just basic house care where I grew up, and here in Alaska our water is a low flat fee each month and watering is easy. Our lawn finally looks good after five years of grass seed and watering. whew!

[umsami]

I have to because of an evil HOA...although recent FL laws state that they can't stop me from changing my lawn into a "Florida Friendly" landscape.  I hope to do so once we have the money. :)

[Hikin' Mama]

This thread has been interesting.

[J-rap]

No.  I've never known a single person in our city to water their lawn.  We usually get rain in the summer to keep it green.  But if we don't, then everyone's lawn turns brown and it's okay.

 

 

[flyingaway]

Grass tries to kill me (allergies). I don't encourage it and dream of the day I can turn it into a zen rock garden.

[kewb]

So we should only engage in behaviors that are moral imperatives? No one should engage in behaviors that merely bring beauty or pleasure? That could have pretty significant ramifications; no one should have children, for example, as there is no moral imperative to do so, and certainly population is a strain on the planet. We should all forego painting our houses or owning more than two changes of clothes or, heck, showering more than about twice a year. Dig a pit toilet if you really want to tread lightly. Fortunately, I live in an area with ample water and can use my share of that water to bring beauty to my street.

 

That lawn-waterers are being labeled as "silly" and enemies of the planet is ridiculous. The worst thing we do for the earth is have kids, something 99% of us have done, so let's not be talking in such absolutes.

I don't think anyone is saying people who water their lawns are the number one enemy of the planet.

 

I think it is a waste of water and money. I live on a limited budget and not watering helps save dollars. I find it a bonus that it also conserves water.

 

I do think my neighbors pristine emerald lawns are beautiful and I am sure mine is quite an eyesore to them. Which is a bonus to me for reasons I don't need to get in to. Even when we did have the money for a landscaper we didn't allow any chemicals to be used so it was never as beautiful as our neighbors.

 

If your lawn makes you happy then water away and enjoy it.

[Aspasia]

I'm from Utah, where people definitely have to water their lawns if they want them to stay green. I currently live in Virginia and I absolutely refuse to pay to water my lawn. Our first year in our house (new construction with a lawn put in by the builder), we watered like mad, as we were instructed to. Our water bill was $200 for one month! We paid that one time and then said, "No more". We have neighbors with sprinkler systems that run every single morning, and their lawns really aren't any greener than ours.  I do have a drip irrigation system on a timer for my vegetable garden. 

 

Mostly, I HATE lawns. It's so weird to me to put so much money and effort into fertilizing, controlling weeds and pests, and watering, for something that we just have to spend our weekends trimming back...and then we walk all over it!  If we didn't live in an HOA (unavoidable around here), I would grow food all over nearly the entire 1/3 acre (I'd leave some grass for the kiddos). 

[annandatje]

No, we do not water lawn even when that means that it is prematurely brown.  We do water vegetable and berry plants.

[SporkUK]

We only had a tiny patch of grass in the back when we moved it and very happily removed it. 

 

Each year we've dug out and added to the soils in part of our back garden (whose soil was mostly rock), then planted a native wild plant mix, then watered once as recommended and then not really touched it even when in one of the driest parts of the UK. It's been a great minimum fuss grass alternative  (bonuses in that we grabbed a mix recommended for encouraging wildlife) and grows far better here than any of the plants we've tried before.  Most people around me no longer have lawns and even some of the community green spaces have become allotments and forest regeneration areas which surprises a lot of people when we're in a city. 

 

I find it sad that so many HOA make such a big deal of lawns to the point of even banning growing foods (though I know many try to sneak around it by planting decorative variants of vegetables and fruits but its always risky). 

 

[Murphy101]

Not all grass is the same.

 

Seeding or sodding native grasses with a mix of drought resistant grasses usually solves the constant need for watering issue.

 

One can have a very green yard without watering grass and without it costing a small fortune.

 

If it requires much maintence then it likely is not grass suitable for the region.

 

One can not water grass and still have a perfectly lovely outdoor oasis.

 

It is not an either or scenario.

 

And if it is an either or scenario, as in 10 years of drought or living in a region that has never supported lush green grass lawns very well without huge reservoirs of water, then yes, it is imperative to not waste what little water is in the region on grass.

[MomtoCandJ]

What lawn???? I don't really have a lawn and if we did, we wouldn't water it.

[Butter]

We looked into the xeriscaping law in TX and our HOA.  Turns out the wording of the law lets them get away with barely allowing it.  10% xeriscaping specifically through drought resistant plants is what the HOA allows and they are complying with the law.  I'm sure it was not the intent of the law to only allow that, but that's how the HOAs are getting away with it.

[QueenCat]

 

 

I find it sad that so many HOA make such a big deal of lawns to the point of even banning growing foods (though I know many try to sneak around it by planting decorative variants of vegetables and fruits but its always risky). 

 

 

 

The only food restrictions I've ever seen is that they must be in the back yard. But always, food could be grown.

[Bluegoat]

Not all grass is the same.

 

Seeding or sodding native grasses with a mix of drought resistant grasses usually solves the constant need for watering issue.

 

One can have a very green yard without watering grass and without it costing a small fortune.

 

If it requires much maintence then it likely is not grass suitable for the region.

 

One can not water grass and still have a perfectly lovely outdoor oasis.

 

It is not an either or scenario.

 

And if it is an either or scenario, as in 10 years of drought or living in a region that has never supported lush green grass lawns very well without huge reservoirs of water, then yes, it is imperative to not waste what little water is in the region on grass.

 

:iagree:

 

This is it - people should not need to water a lawn unless it is brand new.  If they are growing appropriate grasses, it should be fine without it.  If you are in a desert, you really should not have a lawn.

 

And then - as someone else said, most people don't even consider just planting other things and removing or really reducing the size of the actual grass.  The biggest advantage of grass is you can walk on it and it doesn't die, but most people keep it on their front lawn which doesn't require that kind of thing anyway, and they don't really choose it for any reason.  It is just what people expect.

 

[Bluegoat]

We looked into the xeriscaping law in TX and our HOA.  Turns out the wording of the law lets them get away with barely allowing it.  10% xeriscaping specifically through drought resistant plants is what the HOA allows and they are complying with the law.  I'm sure it was not the intent of the law to only allow that, but that's how the HOAs are getting away with it.

 

I don't know how they could get that out of the law - it doesn't say anything that could even suggest that is following the ruling.  I'd contact some of your local water conservation groups and see what they tell you - someone might even be willing to make a legal challenge if necessary.  Or some bad press might make them come into line. 

[raptor_dad]

When DS8 was around 3 he watched our neighbors mow, edge, fertilize, and start excessively watering their lawn.

 

He came to us horrified and said "Don't they know that's just going to make it grow back faster" ;)

 

We just allow our lawn to go brown in the Summer and revive in the Fall.