Quick Tips For Drought

Or During Water Restricted Periods

To prepare for periods of drought or if you want to conserve water you can induce summer dormancy by withholding water. The objective is to supply just enough water to keep the lawn alive until conditions improve. Although the lawn will go brown, the crown, rhizomes and roots may survive for 4 to 6 weeks without watering. In addition, the following steps will help:

·         Raise the mowing height 25 percent or more. Letting the grass grow a bit taller will increase the shading of surface roots and help retain surface moisture.

·         Don`t fertilize. High fertility before or during a drought can promote injury to the grass and reduce root mass. Nitrogen rates should be kept low; feed almost as much potassium. This will produce healthy and tough tissues. If darker color is required, do not apply more nitrogen; consider spraying foliar iron instead.

·         Reduce foot traffic on the lawn. As the top layer of soil dries, damage from compaction increases. Aeration is reduced and the root system has decreased access to available moisture.

·         Identify the 'hot spots' on your lawn for more focused watering. Areas near buildings and other heat-reflecting surfaces will be hotter and drier, and will require more water than cooler areas, such as spots that are shaded by trees or large shrubs. Once you identify the hot zones, you can more efficiently focus the watering.

·         Consider replacing some turf with trees/shrubs/flowers that need less water. In areas where a dry period is extended, and likely to recur in future years, look to water-saving (and maintenance-saving) landscape alternatives. Plant native perennials, use xeriscape techniques, learn about ground covers that do well in your region, and use mulch around perennial shrubs and trees to conserve water.

Turf should recover in 1-2 weeks after significant rainfall returns. Overseeding may also be necessary in the fall after the turf recovers.