Over the last 11 months we have experienced the driest conditions since 1895. While remaining optimistic and hopeful for rainfall in our near future, here are a few ways to help maintain your lawns throughout drought conditions:
Manage Water Consumption
Always be sure to manage the water consumption to reduce the water needed to grow and maintain your lawn to allow it to survive under drought conditions. Install an automatic irrigation system to help ensure watering of only the lawn and not the sidewalks, driveway or roads. Automatic irrigation systems can also provide timers that can dial in the needs of any particular climate, grass species or soil types, allowing you to water accurately.
If you already have an automatic irrigation system, have it audited by a professional irrigation company to ensure the back flow prevention valves are in place and check for leaks, drips and other inadequacies. If you did not aerate your lawn in the spring, consider doing so this fall. Aeration creates small holes in the ground that allow water to soak deeper into the ground and help promote root growth.
Prevent Additional Yard Stress
A drought is one of those times when it could be best to just not do anything to your lawn. Mow as little as possible. Mow the grass high, at least 3-4 inches, or the highest setting on the mower. Also try mulching, let the clippings remain on the grass. Lawns tend to lose more water and nutrients through evaporation when clippings are removed.
You can view these tips and more in Kelly Burke’s article How to Manage Lawn in a Drought or Jane Frogge’s article Lawn Care Tips Save Water During Drought.
How’s your lawn? If you have tips that have worked for you this summer please share them.
