Climate change could make Colorado lawns suffer. Here’s how to help yours adapt

A warmer, drier future for Colorado has many people wondering about their lawns. Drought and heat turn lawns brown or kills them altogether. How can we sustain a lawn with less water and less mowing? And should we keep them at all? Tony Koski is a professor of horticulture and landscape architecture at Colorado State University. He teaches a class on growing a lawn that's resilient in the face of climate change. Tony talked with Erin O’Toole about how to create a lawn that will thrive in a hotter, drier climate. He is especially enthusiastic about one type of grass – called Bermuda grass – that he says is well equipped to survive in Colorado’s changing climate. For advice on how to overhaul your lawn, take a look at a fact sheet from the CSU Extension that Tony co-authored. Sign up for the In The NoCo newsletter: Visit KUNC.org Questions? Feedback? Story ideas? Email us: [email protected] Like what you're hearing? Help more people discover In The NoCo by rating the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks! Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole Producer: Ariel Lavery Executive Producer: Brad Turner Theme music by Robbie Reverb Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.