Green grass in Colorado?

[Josseppie]

It all depends on the city you live in, some have plenty of water and some do not. Just do some research to see if the city you like has enough water or not.

[McGowdog]

What Former said.

[xeric]

Originally Posted by formercalifornian

Oh, for Goodness Sake people! No, you aren't going to see lush, deciduous forests like you do in the upper midwest, ...

Not to be argumentative, but you can make any place look like it's not a desert (at least during the growing season) if you water it. But if MandieBunny wants to see what the natural look is (along the Front Range at least) then I suggest she check out the route from Ault to the Pawnee grasslands. Very little habitation and miles upon miles of short grassland that is brown for 9 to 10 months of the year (either due to cold or drought). There aren't even the scattered trees that you see farther west on the plains (mostly planted along irrigation ditches and beside farm houses). I'm not saying it's bad - just that it's not green. Still, I think it's important that people who move here understand the difference between human-planted and natural vegetation and realize that Denver may look wetter then is because people have used a lot of water to copy the landscaping of eastern cities.

Originally Posted by formercalifornian

And, please don't put too much credence in Josse's claim that we have plenty of water. We absolutely don't, but it doesn't mean we're lacking foliage.

Amen, sister.

Ps, If you do decide to move here, MandieBunny, welcome to CO! I just hope you'll give xeriscaping a try.

[Josseppie]

Speaking of green grass its that time of year again to fire up the sprinkler system!

[xeric]

Originally Posted by Josseppie

Speaking of green grass its that time of year again to fire up the sprinkler system!

I know this year has been drier then normal but are you saying that you normally start watering in March? March through May (and October) are the only times of the year when bluegrass can usually survive on natural precipitation alone (around here at least).

[Josseppie]

Originally Posted by xeric

I know this year has been dryer then normal but are you saying that you normally start watering in March? March through May (and October) are the only times of the year when bluegrass can usually survive on natural precipitation alone (around here at least).

It depends on the year and how the weather is but I try to have the sprinkler system turned on by April first. Keep in mind that I am in Pueblo and this time of year the highs are usually in the 70's and 80's and even today that it is "colder" the high will be in the 50's. Yes we get spring snow storms but its not the kind of snow we get in December and it melts the next day and is great for the grass and flowers.

[xeric]

If it's that much warmer in Pueblo then Fort Collins, I see why you like it so much! In Fort Collins, I can't imagine anyone needing or wanting to turn on their sprinklers before mid-May (although I'm sure plenty do). The average date of last frost is May 10th and I wouldn't risk the frost damage by turning it on any earlier then that (especially since the grass does just fine in April and mid-May, in most years, without supplemental water).

[Josseppie]

Yes its a lot warmer down here look at this recent article in the Pueblo Chieftain:
While at night it might get cold, it wont get cold enough to cause the frost line to drop below the gound.

"Break out the hoses, it’s time to celebrate!

Er, irrigate.

The city’s winter sewer billing adjustment period ended last week, and with the current dry conditions, the Pueblo Board of Water Works is encouraging residents to begin watering lawns, trees and shrubs to help them recover from a balmy winter."


The link: http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2009/03/03/news/local/doc49accbce68085157872588.txt

[formercalifornian]

I must admit that we did give the ash tree a root watering the other day, because there hasn't been a whole lot of moisture this past winter. Our house doesn't have air conditioning and that lovely tree is the only relief we get from the brutal late-summer sun, so I'll admit that we baby it a bit.

We don't plan to begin irrigating our minimal bluegrass (gasp!) until June at the earliest.

[Josseppie]

Originally Posted by formercalifornian

I must admit that we did give the ash tree a root watering the other day, because there hasn't been a whole lot of moisture this past winter. Our house doesn't have air conditioning and that lovely tree is the only relief we get from the brutal late-summer sun, so I'll admit that we baby it a bit.

We don't plan to begin irrigating our minimal bluegrass (gasp!) until June at the earliest.

It would very difficult to have a house with out a/c in Pueblo, in fact I have already had to turn it on a few times when Pueblo got in the 80's and this is only March. That is why I like it here so much, we are close to the major ski resorts yet we are so much warmer given our location on the plains and what we like to call the "banana belt".