Hose pipe ban: Why ‘zombie’ grass should not be watered

Drone footage taken by a Woodley man shows the ground lawns and parks dried to a crisp by the unusually hot summer brought about by climate change.

University of Reading grass expert warned residents ‘not to even think about’ watering their gardens in the heat.

Credit: Nathan Long

“Don’t even think about watering your lawn because that’s just a complete waste of water,” Said Dr Jonathan Mitchley, Associate Professor in Field Botany.

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“You have to be patient really and when we start to get the rain it will green up. It’s going to get browner and there really isn’t anything to do for the short term.

Credit: Nathan Long

Credit: Nathan Long

“Lawn grasses have quite shallow roots, but they’re not dead necessarily. I like to think of them as zombie grasses. If you look carefully you’ll often see that there’s little tufts of green in amongst.”

His comments come as a hosepipe ban was introduced by Thames Water.

Stunning footage taken by Nathan Long, 25, from Woodley, shows yellow and brown grass across the suburb, matching the dry floor in Forbury Gardens.

Dr Mitchley said that climate change means dry, crumbly lawns and parks will become increasingly common, but there are some steps gardeners can take

• Plant trees or shrubs to provide shade and lower temperatures for grasses.
• Start thinking about planting different species, such as those from the Mediterranean
• Let parts of the lawn grow taller to provide a habitat for flowers and insects
• Don’t use plastic grass

Credit: Nathan Long

“You have to live with it for now. I actually quite enjoy walking on my lawn when it’s all dry and crumbly.”