•  Use Water Wisely  - to absorb rain and runoff
• Build Good Soil   - to help roots grow and rain soak in
• Select Proper Plants  - to thrive in your yard's conditions

1. Raise the Mow Height to 3"+ to encourage deeper rooting of turf grass.

2. Keep your mower blade(s) SHARP for clean cuts (to reduce grass blade tearing/excessive moisture loss).  Use a sharp mulching blade - don't bag the clippings (leave the fine clippings lay on the lawn for free organic matter and fertilizer).  Keep lawn blades sharp by taking them to the hardware store for sharpening or sharpen at home (carefully) with tools like a hand-file or a Dremel lawn blade sharpening attachment.

3. Reduce Soil Compaction:

Test for shallow soil compaction with a sturdy wire (e.g. utility locate flag). If you can't push the sturdy wire into the lawn's topsoil more than a 3" depth, you probably have compacted soils (make sure you're not just hitting rocks or tree roots).  

Core-plug aeration can help alleviate compaction up to 3" depth.  Best time to aerate is in the fall (target September).  Lawn maintenance contractors, like Organic Lawns by Lunseth, offer core-plug aeration (and other services to reduce compaction and improve soil health).

4. Build Soil Health:

Check out your Soil by taking soil samples.

Send Soil Samples into a Soils Lab for Analysis/Recommendations:

U of M Soil Testing Lab (includes sampling instructions): 

Goal for Organic Matter Content % is from 5-8%

For help in interpreting your results, send us an email (and include your results) at bushlakeikes@gmail.com

If your soil needs more Organic Matter, a good local source is The Mulch Store (have bulk or bagged Well-aged Leaf Compost).  The Mulch Store's Burnsville Bulk Materials Yard is west of I-35W & Cliff Road, near the landfill. 1 cubic yard of compost costs around $30 from The Mulch Store.

Well-aged Compost can be top-dressed onto your existing lawn at a 1/4" depth in the fall.  You can use a "Compost Spreader" to evenly apply compost on your existing lawn in the fall.  For new/renovated lawn projects, compost can be incorporated into the soil prior to seeding.

5. Consider Alternative Lawn Plants:

Fine-Fescue Grass Mix (aka "No-Mow Mix" or "Eco-Grass Mix")

Minnesota Bee Lawn Mix (with Fine-Fescues) - (aka MNL Bee Lawn Mix)

Take out a section of lawn and plant native plants. Click for resources from the Board of Water and Soil Resources.

6. Use Water Wisely when Irrigating:

Fix Leaks - small leaks can waste thousands of gallons.  Inspect and repair your irrigation system regularly or hire a professional to inspect leaks and conduct an "irrigation audit" to make sure you are watering effectively.

Don't Water the Street: Adjust nozzles to spray only the lawn.  For hard to water areas, consider planting something else that doesn't need irrigation.

Don't Water in the Rain:  a "rain sensor" signals irrigation controller to turn off when it's actively raining.  A "soil moisture sensor" keeps the irrigation controller off if the soil is wet.  A "Smart Irrigation Controller" is connected to wi-fi to receive local weather information to determine if it has recently rained or if rain is expected.  A "Smart" controller can save approximately 50% of water compared to an old style controller.

Some "Smart" Irrigation Controllers:

Rachio 3 Smart Water System (8-16 zone):  

https://www.rachio.com

Rain Bird ST8-WIFI (8 zone): 

http://www.rainbird.com/homeowner/products/timers/ST8-WiFi.htm

Orbit b-hyve WiFi Timer (6-12 zones): 

https://bhyve.orbitonline.com/

RainMachine Touch HD (12-16 zones):

http://www.rainmachine.com/

 

7.  Harvest Rooftop Rainwater:

Downspout Diverter (EarthMinded brand)

High-Flow Spigot (RainReserve brand)

Rain Barrels (Recycle Minnesota Annual Sale - $74 each) 

Rain Barrels (Craigslist search)

 

Water-Smart Landscaping Tips Sheet (2-page pdf) 

Questions?  Email Gregg at bushlakeikes@gmail.com

Local Lawn Contractors that specialize in organic lawn care and Fine-Fescue Lawn installation:

Organic Lawns by Lunseth: https://www.organiclawnsbylunseth.com/

City of Bloomington - Water Conservation Rebate Program for Bloomington Households:

Water conservation efforts are important in Bloomington:

Irrigation systems, toilets, clothes washers, and dishwashers are the biggest water users in most homes – but they don’t necessarily use water wisely. Newer models do the job just as well, but they can use up to 40% less water to do it! For example, underground irrigation systems with old controllers (unaware if it's raining) can waste tens of thousands of gallons of water per year. That’s a lot of water—and extra cost on your water bill.

To help Bloomington residents conserve water and save money by installing water-saving devices, Bloomington water customers can now apply for rebates for the purchase of WaterSense labeled and Energy Star qualified appliances and water saving rain barrels - see the link above for more details.

Top Indoor Water Saving Tips:

1. Upgrade to a High-Efficiency Toilet(s):

- older toilets can use 3-5 gallons per flush;

- new high-efficiency toilets can use 0.8 – 1.28 gallons per flush;

- can reduce water used for toilets by 60-80%

= avg. family of four could save 20,000 – 28,000 gallons per year

2. Upgrade to a High-Efficiency Clothes Washer:

- older clothes washers can use 40 gallons per load;

- new high-efficiency clothes washers use 14-25 gallons per load;

- can reduce water used for clothes washing by 38-65%

= avg. family of four could save 4,500 – 7,800 gallons per year

- can also reduce electricity use

3. Upgrade to a High-Efficiency Shower Head:

- older shower heads can use 2.5 - 5.5 gallons per minute;

- new high-efficiency shower heads can use 1.25 -1.5 gallons per minute;

- can reduce water used for showers by 70-75%

= avg. family of four could save 4,000 – 37,000* gallons per year

            (* varies if you currently have a 2.5 or 5.5 gpm shower head)

            - can determine by measuring with gallon bucket and stop-watch

- can also reduce electricity or natural gas use (for water heater)

4. Upgrade to a High-Efficiency Dish Washer:

- older dishwashers can use 10-16 gallons per wash cycle;

- new high-efficiency dishwashers use 3 – 5 gallons per wash cycle.

- can reduce water used for washing dishes by 50-80%

= avg. family of four could save 550 – 1,320 gallons per year

- can also reduce electricity use