The TurfMutt Foundation Issues Wise Water Tips During Drought

The TurfMutt Foundation, which champions the importance of backyards, public parks, school yards and other green spaces, urges everyone to adopt wise water practices around their landscaping as the U.S. heads into drier summer months.

“During times of water scarcity, there are a few things to know about managing your green space,” says Kris Kiser, President and CEO of the TurfMutt Foundation. “For one, we can keep yards, our parks, and other green spaces alive with less water than we expect. Plants go dormant during drier times, and, if appropriate for the climate zone, most are pretty hardy.”

The Foundation offers these key points and tips to keep your green growing even under drought conditions.

• Water wisely. Water in early morning or late evening, only “enough” (i.e., the minimum to keep them alive), and use smart irrigation and controllers that can prevent overwatering. In particular, overwatered grass grows roots horizontally instead of deep into the ground.
• Remember right plant, right place. Plant trees, shrubs, grass, and flowering plants for your climate zone, which makes them adaptable to that zone’s weather patterns.
• Know your soil. The frequency and amount of water you apply to plants varies based on soil type.
• Expect grass to go brown. Trees also will slow their growth and fewer flowers will bloom during drier times.
• Cut grass “long.” Mow no more than one-third of grass height. Taller grass provides greater heat tolerance, shades the soil, and reduces water evaporation.

“Drought is part of nature’s cycle,” says Kiser. “But green space cools the air, captures and filters rain when it comes, captures dust and particulate matter, produces oxygen, and sequesters carbon. Consider watering an investment in the landscape, which is critical to the wellbeing of people, pets, and the planet.”

For more tips about harnessing the power of parks, backyards and other green spaces, visit TurfMutt.com.

About the TurfMutt Foundation
TurfMutt, which celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2024, was created by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute’s (OPEI) TurfMutt Foundation and has reached more than 70 million children, educators, and families since 2009. The Foundation is title sponsor of “Lucky Dog,” the Emmy Award-winning CBS broadcast television show in support of dog rescue and rehabilitation. Both TurfMutt spokesdogs have been rescue dogs, and Mutt Mulligan is a cast character on the show, where her “Mulligan Minute” segments teach viewers about the benefits of green space. In 2024, the Great Lawn at Louisville’s award-winning Waterfront Park on the Ohio River was renamed the TurfMutt Foundation Great Lawn as part of a $1 million sponsorship. Championed by Mulligan the TurfMutt, and through education partners such as Scholastic, Discovery, Weekly Reader, and the USBGC Global Learning Lab, TurfMutt has taught students and teachers how to “save the planet, one yard at a time.” TurfMutt has been an education resource at the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Green Apple, the Center for Green Schools, the Outdoors Alliance for Kids, the National Energy Education Development (NEED) project, Climate Change Live, Petfinder and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In 2017, the TurfMutt animated video series won the coveted Cynopsis Kids Imagination Award for Best Interstitial Series. More information at www.TurfMutt.com.