Education is the key to avoiding a thirsty lawn.
“You gotta see this”—sound familiar? It’s the kind of phrase that sparks curiosity and invites anticipation. In education, nothing beats learning through direct, hands-on experience...anticipating the outcome creates interest. The same can be said for landscaping, where lush, green lawns and plants often captivate the senses and spark conversation.
When choosing turfgrass, the list of options can seem endless. Factors like shade tolerance, leaf texture, disease resistance, and enhanced color all play a role. Yet, none are more critical than water use and availability. Water demand is the make-or-break factor in a lawn’s long-term success.
Not all grasses handle drought well, so selecting the wrong variety can turn a lawn into a costly, ongoing problem. The question becomes: is this turfgrass too thirsty to be healthy?
The topic brings to mind a 1977 classic film Smokey and the Bandit, where Burt Reynolds is tasked with bootlegging of a truckload of Coors beer from Texarkana, Texas to Atlanta, Georgia in record time for Big Enos and Little Enos Burdette. When Reynolds asked why they want the beer so badly, Little Enos snarks, “Because he’s thirsty, dummy.” That iconic thirst and classic line led to a legendary road trip and an unforgettable black-and-gold Trans Am becoming part of American culture.
In the lawn world, it’s not beer but water that plays a starring role. For decades, homeowners followed the standard rule of thumb: one inch of water per week for healthy turf during the growing season. Thankfully, modern advancements in turfgrass science have rewritten that old rule. New warm-season turf cultivars are changing the game with dramatically lower water needs.
University turfgrass trials conducted over the past 30 years have provided clear, consistent data supporting water-saving varieties. But sometimes, seeing is believing.
That’s why this summer, we brought a group of water conservation enthusiasts to a sod farm near Atlanta, Georgia, for an up-close look at some of the newest turfgrass options making waves in southern landscapes.
Hosted by NG Turf, the tour featured several varieties with different water needs and performance characteristics. Among the standouts was TifTuf Bermudagrass, a popular warm-season cultivar. TifTuf has earned widespread acclaim for its impressive drought resistance - using up to 38% less water than traditional bermudagrass varieties - while maintaining a beautiful, resilient lawn. It was developed to thrive with less water, and homeowners are taking notice. Other sun-loving bermudagrasses that show water saving characteristics, albeit more limited, include Tahoma 31 and Iron Cutter.
Zeon Zoysia, often dubbed the “luxury carpet” of lawns, wowed visitors with its soft texture and striking color. This warm-season grass is ideal for shaded areas while also enduring direct sun. Zeon offers visual appeal, but it also requires more maintenance and higher water inputs than TifTuf to maintain high quality standards.
We also explored Sunbelt Blue, a cool-season blend prized for its shade tolerance and year-round green color. While it struggles under Georgia’s intense summer sun, it outperforms traditional tall fescue and other cool-season grasses in similar climates. However, like most cool-season varieties, its water demands are much higher during heat stress.
Each grass serves a purpose, and each has its own water requirements. Our tour sparked thoughtful discussions about sustainability, lawn aesthetics, and water efficiency. Questions flew about sod harvesting, installation, fertilization, and how best to manage water during establishment and long-term maintenance. That initial “you gotta see this” moment became a launchpad for meaningful learning and engagement.
Just like the thirst that fueled a high-speed Trans Am beer run in Smokey and the Bandit, thirsty lawns lead to high water bills and strain community water resources—especially in times of drought. The good news is, today’s turfgrass options empower homeowners to have beautiful lawns and make smart water choices. It all starts with education and, sometimes, a firsthand look.
After all, seeing is believing.
Bryan Tolar, Tolar Capitol Partners, is a Turfgrass Industry Consultant, and Chairman of the Georgia Water Wise Council, an affiliate of the Georgia Association of Water Professionals
