Drought Preparation

Homeowners, armed with a weather forecast predicting severe drought can take proper preparations that can greatly improve the chances of their home lawn surviving, even with very limited water. The Lawn Institute in suburban Chicago has assembled the following tips to manage turf during a drought.

  1. Reduce or eliminate nitrogen fertilizer because at this time of year it overly promotes leaf growth, at the cost of rooting activity. Plan on fertilizing in the fall when top growth slows-down and root growth increases.
  5. Mow less or when it's cooler because no matter how you cut it, grasses lose moisture after every mowing. Less plant moisture will be lost when mowing takes place at cooler times of the day.
  6. Mow as high as possible to promote deep rooting and maximize soil shading. Although studies have shown that taller grasses can use more water, there is a greater benefit to deep roots and reduced soil moisture loss from evaporation.
  7. Leave clippings, not clumps to add moisture, nutrients and a mulching effect; however, remove clumps because they will block the sun and heat up as they decay, killing the under-lying grass.
  8. Water Right…defend your right to use water to save your landscape by participating in public water hearings, while practicing proper watering techniques.
    1. Water early in the morning to take advantage of cooler temperatures and less evaporative losses to the afternoon winds and hot sun.
  9. Reduce traffic on the lawn at all times if possible, but especially during the heat of the day when foot traffic and even lawn mowers can injure the grass plants and cause almost immediate dehydration. When cooler, wetter weather returns you can help your lawn recover from a drought by watering deeply. This will wash dust off the leaves, re-hydrate the dormant crowns and initiate root growth.

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