Grow with Harvester: Sustainable Lawns in Colorado

A lush green lawn can be beautiful, but in Colorado’s high-desert climate grass must be chosen wisely. We love the look of grass and its recreation space, but it’s crucial that lawns serve a purpose. By using smart strategies and native grasses, grass can be surprisingly eco-friendly. In fact, Colorado’s extension services remind us that “water-wise landscaping is not anti-grass – it’s about matching grass selection to design needs”.

With the right choices, our clients get the “people space” they want without wasting water. Consider the big picture: landscape irrigation accounts for about 7–10% of Colorado’s total water use. In summer, community water demand doubles mainly because of sprinkler systems.

So at Harvester, we recommend keeping grass areas reasonable – use grass where you play, not where you simply want green carpets. Then, pick grasses that handle our heat and sun. For example, buffalograss (a native warm-season grass) has seen new turf-type cultivars that stay lush on 50–75% less irrigation than Kentucky bluegrass.

Another local favorite is blue grama – Colorado’s state grass – which uses roughly one-third the water of a traditional Kentucky bluegrass lawn.

Blue grama makes a fine-textured lawn (or natural meadow) that turns golden in winter. A mixed grass of buffalo-grass and grama gives a green carpet most of the year with minimal care. Even when using bluegrass or fescue, smart management matters. A moderately irrigated cool-season lawn (let it go dormant in driest parts of summer) can still look tidy in spring and fall.

Many Coloradans are now accepting brown lawns in midsummer – it turns out that grass roots go deeper when they aren’t watered every day. And brown isn’t the only choice: for shady corners or play areas, tall fescue or shade-tolerant groundcovers like clover or ornamental grasses might use less water and fertilizer. It’s not all about conservation – grass also provides benefits. A healthy lawn cools the ground (sweat evaporation through grass blades keeps the air temperature lower than asphalt) and filters dust out of the breeze.

Deep-rooted grasses hold soil, preventing erosion and runoff. In fire-prone zones, a well-irrigated lawn can act as a defensible space around your home; dry, overgrown weeds on an acre are a wildfire hazard, but a mowed lawn is not.

Key tips for smarter sustainable lawns:

• Choose the right species: For sunny, low-traffic yards try native grasses (buffalograss/blue grama). For high-traffic areas consider turf-type tall fescue mixed with Kentucky bluegrass, but be prepared to water more if you want green grass.

• Irrigation strategy: Water deeply but infrequently – this builds strong roots. Some homeowners water once a week or less for buffalo/grama. In extended dry spells, a little water revives the lawn, but in average seasons let it go semi-dormant. (Colorado’s wide rain swings mean even bluegrass lawns naturally brown 3–4 times in summer.) Remember that irrigation scheduling saves far more water than just choice of grass.

• Zone your lawn: Not every inch must be grass. Use stepping-stone paths, mulch beds, or low-water groundcover where you don’t sit or play. In many yards we replace lawn edges with pollinator-friendly perennials (like yarrow or silver grasses) or even small food gardens.

Your lawn, done right, will be a cool, fun, and fire-smart green space – not a wasteful one. Harvester can help map out exactly how much lawn you truly need. We’ll consider sun, shade, and use patterns to pick the best grass mix. If you have questions about buffalograss establishment or blending in blue grama, we’ve got local experience.

Reach out to us – we’d love to work with you on a strategic grass plan that looks great and conserves Colorado’s precious resources.