As heat persists, what to know about caring for your lawn

We sprung right into summer — and your lawn likely is feeling it.

But it’s important to follow both city regulations and best practices to keep things looking green while taking a “green” environment-friendly approach.

“Many Sioux Falls residents take great pride in their lawns, and these reminders and tips will help residents care for their lawns while being mindful of water use,” said Ted Lewis, environmental engineer for the city’s Water Purification Plant. “Water conservation is a practice and mindset for everyone in our community to ensure we continue to have the water we need now and well into the future.”

Here’s what to know.

Follow the lawn watering schedule

Sioux Falls follows a stage schedule for lawn watering, and we are currently in stage 1. This means lawn watering for all residential, commercial, industrial and city facilities use the following schedule:

• • Watering lawns is prohibited from noon to 5 p.m.
  • Property owners with even-numbered addresses may water lawns on even-numbered calendar dates.
  • Property owners with odd-numbered addresses may water lawns on odd-numbered calendar dates.
  • Hand watering vegetation such as shrubbery, trees, ground covers, plants, vines, gardens, vegetables and flowers is permitted any time of day if the water is applied by a hose that does not leak and has a handheld nozzle that automatically shuts off when released.

Do not waste water

Wasting water — such as running a hose unattended for long periods — is not allowed. Properly adjust sprinklers, and make sure they are pointed at the lawn and not on any hardscapes like streets, driveways or sidewalks. Always promptly turn off the water when done.

Prevent overgrown grass, nuisance vegetation

Grass and noxious weeds should be no taller than 8 inches in yards and lots within city limits, per city ordinance. Noxious weeds include Canada thistle, Russian knapweed, hoary cress, purple loosestrife, perennial sow thistle, leafy spurge and salt cedar. Dandelions are not considered noxious. Notify the city of overgrown grass or nuisance vegetation at siouxfalls.org/report or call 605-978-6900.

Prepare for new lawns

Permits are required for newly installed lawns. Contact Public Works at 605-367-8600 for permit information. As a reminder, new sod requires a significant amount of water, especially during the hot summer months. Because of the extra water usage, residents should be prepared for their monthly water bill to increase.

Timely advice

If you’re looking for additional ways to conserve water or diversify your landscaping, consider the following tips from the city:

• Water your lawn in the morning to reduce evaporation and growth of lawn diseases.
• Avoid cutting your lawn too short. Instead, aim for slightly longer grass that can encourage a deeper root system, better absorption of moisture and nutrients, and better stress tolerance.
• Watering more volume less often forces grass roots to grow deeper, resulting in healthy root systems.
• Make a rain barrel. Capturing rainwater and reusing it to water your lawn or landscaping can reduce your household’s water usage and save money. Check out the city’s rain barrel instructions here: Garbage Can into a Rain Barrel Instructions — City of Sioux Falls.
  
• Plant a prairie and pollinator garden. The garden kits, created in partnership with the Minnehaha Conservation District and the city of Sioux Falls, are available to area residents who want to incorporate native wildflowers and grasses into their landscaping, and by doing so, protect water resources, support pollinators and conserve South Dakota’s native plant heritage. Kits include an instructional guide to assist from preparation to maintenance, a seed packet curated to contain wildflowers and grasses native to South Dakota capable of planting a 100-square-foot area and an educational sign to place beside your garden for the community to know more about the garden and its importance. Kits are $15 and available while supplies last. To purchase one or get information, contact the Minnehaha Conservation District at [email protected] or call 605-595-8052.

Native plantings slowly taking root in residential landscapes