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Turd in a vr'host -Drou g ht World 1 y Dick Ruppel (Excerpted with permission -from Colorado Green Magazine, published by the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado) The effects -of the drought on the turf customers about how to do that. saturate the lawns. They don't need it. industry will be felt for years. As to the question of what's new in turf, We need to educate our customers that well, not much. Nothing new has been if they baby turf for years and then try Can we actually start using the words, discovered since the drought. Different to water once a week, it will look awful. "post- drought," as in "It's over. Water varieties of sod have been around for But, the beauty of bluegrass is that it's all you want, no worries "? I don't think years. What is new is the willingness to always trainable. The older it gets, the so. The effects of the drought on the turf try something different, both on the part less water it needs. industry will be felt for several years to of the sod grower who is growing it and, come. But the lessons learned will last more importantly, the consumer who What else is new in the industry? With longer. increasingly is willing to try something automation of harvesting, we no longer other than Kentucky bluegrass. hand -stack the turf. Everything from First, and most significant, is that Canadian blue fescue, buffalograss pallet injection to stacking is done with more and more people have realized mixes, salt grass, heat- tolerant turf, low - the push of a button. We hope this will the importance of soil preparation. maintenance, low- water: you name it, allow us to keep costs to a minimum Gone are the days of scraping off the it's out there. Each has a different look and retain quality employees. Thanks to high spots, throwing down some turf and a different feel, and some customers Tony Koski at Colorado State University and watering like crazy. People are are willing to at least look at something and Brent Mecham at Northern realizing that ground prep really makes different. Will they all work? Do Colorado Water Conservancy District, a difference. Cities including Aurora, they actually use less water? Are they we continue to learn from new research Castle Rock and Westminster have drought- tolerant? Only time will tell. on actual water usage of turf and from instituted new regulations requiring real numbers on water savings related to ground prep. I still get asked, "What's that grass soil prep. that looks like bluegrass, but uses less water ?" And I still answer, "Bluegrass that you water less." With good ground preparation and an understanding of water requirements, anybody can have a great looking, low -water landscape with all the bluegrass they want. Bluegrass is not and hasn't been the enemy. Bluegrass is often still the best fit for a yard or a high - traffic area. Consequently, when the proper steps are followed, people are realizing their yard and their entire landscape do not need all that water. Denver Water's website shows that the average daily water use is down. Is it because of restrictions? I hope that it has more to do with education and people's understanding that they don't need to water as much as they once thought they did. Nevertheless, we still need to water even less, and we need to educate our The future of the turf industry is very green - -if you educate your clients not to over- water. For more information visit *Rocky Mountain Sod Growers Association website, Nvww. rockymountainsodgrowers. com The key is doing it right from the start. Dick Ruppel is owner of Horizon Turf Follow the BMPs, amend the soil, don't Nursery in Fort Morgan. Will drought- stressed lawns cause homeowners to consider alternatives like buffalograss? 0