Helping Your Lawn

Survive A Drought

Don't Let Your Lawn Look Like This!

Drought is becoming more common in many parts of North America, and lawns need to be naturally vigorous and well maintained to withstand the stress caused by reduced watering. In addition, even if you do not have a extra dry situation you may want to sustain a lawn on minimal water to reduce you water bill. Remember though, if the grass gets no water, it will probably die after 4 to 6 weeks of no water.

How should you prepare the lawn for very low water situations?

The best way to have your lawn prepared for low water conditions is for it to be well established and in a naturally healthy condition. New lawns should be seeded 60 days or longer before a drought, and existing lawns should be maintained using natural lawn care methods.

Reduce thatch in your lawn. Thatch is the accumulation of above-soil runners and debris, propagated by the grass. This layer should be about 1/2" (1.25cm) on a healthy lawn, and kept in balance by natural decomposition, earthworms and microorganisms. Too much thatch prevents water and nutrients from reaching the grass roots. You can reduce thatch with a steel rake, or by renting a dethatcher, which does a more thorough job.

You need to reduce or eliminate nitrogen fertilizer and increase potassium fertilizer. Note: Potassium is not available in fertilizers in many areas do to state and local regulations.

 Avoid the temptation to apply herbicides even though weedy species become more obvious in a dormant lawn. Herbicides are ineffective on drought-stressed weeds and can be damaging on drought-stressed lawns.

You still need to water but water deeply but not too often. Thorough watering encourages your lawn to develop deep root systems, which make the lawn hardier and more drought-resistant. Let the lawn dry out before re-watering; as a rule of thumb, the color should dull and footprints should stay compressed for more than a few seconds. When watering, put a cup in the sprinkler zone; it should get at least one inch (2.5cm) water.

The best time for watering is early morning - less water will be lost to evaporation. Ideally, it is better to water the first half-inch or so, then wait for an hour or two before watering the second half-inch.

Always keep your mower blades sharp. A dull blade makes a tear rather than a clean cut, which requires more of the plant's reserves to heal the wound. This reduces the grass plant's vitality, which is needed to sustain the grass through the stresses of a dry period.

Mow your lawn often, but not too short. Mow the lawn often enough so that you do not cut off more than one-third of the grass at any one time. Set the cutting height so the grass is not cut too short. If mowed too closely, surface roots become exposed and root growth is slowed. This reduces the lawn's tolerance to heat and drought. Most turf grass species are healthiest when kept between 2.5 and 3.5" tall.

Leave the clippings on the lawn by using a mulching mower. The clippings act as mulch, helping to reduce water loss due to evaporation. As long as the clippings are thinly spread, and not clumped, they will not contribute significantly to thatch buildup.

Avoid using herbicides and pesticides during low water situations. These products will damage the grass during low water/drought situations.

You can add moisture-retaining materials such as Lassenite to your lawn. If you live in a drought-prone area, consider adding this moisture retention soil amendment to your lawn. Lassenite is used on golf courses and lawns in arid regions as a way of getting maximum use of water. Its primary advantage is its ability to retain water, and to release it on demand. It also has unmatched wicking ability to distribute moisture evenly throughout the soil. Lassenite is a completely organic, naturally occurring mineral, formed by the mixture of volcanic ash and diatoms.

Save and recycle all available water. You can collect and store rainwater from your roof by installing a rain barrel. Water stored in a rain barrel does not have enough pressure to run a sprinkler, but you can connect the hose to the spigot on the rain barrel and use this to hand water areas which you want to keep green. If you have an air conditioner or dehumidifier in your home, collect the water from these sources and use it to water outdoor plants or garden areas. Do not dump “clean” water down the drain. For more tips on surviving a drought, click here.


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