How to Deal With Your Lawn During a Drought

The lack of rainfall in many areas of the country has been making the news in recent weeks. Here are some reminders and tips on how to deal with a drought situation.

  • Remember, grass is resilient. It can handle weather extremes in many cases. If it turns straw-colored and looks withered, there is a good chance it will come back when conditions are better. Just leave it alone and wait.
  • The worse thing you can do is to give your lawn a sip of water rather than a good drink. Watering just a little bit during dry conditions is worse than not watering at all. It will make the grass plants' roots reach up rather than down for a drink.
  • Water restrictions make it paramount to water carefully - you want the water to fall on the lawn and sink into the soil, not run off down the sidewalk or evaporate. Water early in the morning on the day you are allowed to water. In general, your lawn needs an inch of water a week. You may want to measure the amount of water reaching the soil - make a simple watering gauge to do this.