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:| _ vounstirl EXPRESSP Most lawns need about an inch of water every five to seven days during mowing season. Some of this will certainly come from spring or sumâ€" mer showers, which you can measure with a rain gauge. But if nature doesn‘t cooperate, you might begin to notice telltale sings of thirst: * The lawn turns a bluishâ€"green color. 0 water or not to water? That is the question especially . when summer‘s searing heat threatens havoc on your yard. Luckily, it‘s not a trick question. In fact, depending on the situation, either answer is the right choice. Here‘s why: To water, or not to water \ l ; Jiks d 0 m Parquet, Sanding, Finishing Refinishing Staining Specialist OAKVILLE (905) 849â€"3931 HAMILTON (905) 572â€"6336 J.L. SUNSHINE HARDWOOD _ FLOORING By now, you have an important decision to make: water as soon as possible or don‘t water at all. Most kinds of grass can survive occasional droughts. In fact, arid conditions may even kill waterâ€"lovâ€" ing weeds and discourage diseases. If the weather forecast calls for an extended dry spell and water is expensive or rationed, then you might decide not to water your lawn at all. * Footprints show in the yard as you walk on it. * Eventually, the grass turns brown and the soil is hard and cracked. This option, believe it or not, is preferable to giving your yard just an occasional watering. A once in a while sprinkling promtoes a cycle or growth and dormancy that can actuâ€" ally harm your lawn. Roots use food to grow when water is available. When all available water has been used for growing and for making and storing food, the grass goes dormant. This pattern, if set irregularly, can weaken your lawn and make it more susceptible to damâ€" age from stressful conditions. With this in mind, if water is available and affordable, water your yard thoroughly and regularly as soon as it shows signs of thirst.