Managing Lawns during Drought
The obvious answer to drought stress on lawns is to apply water.Deep, infrequent watering to the depth of the root system is the ideal situation. This should be done when lawns show the first signs of drought stress, such as wilting, darkening color, and footprints remaining after walking across the lawn.
Once cool-season turf grasses have gone dormant (stopped active growth and/or turned off-color) it’s best to leave them in that condition rather than watering heavily to cause the grass to green-up again. This does not mean to stop watering, just do not water extra unless you are willing to keep the water coming. Breaking dormancy actually drains reserves within the plant, and if conditions remain dry and the weather is hot, the plant is not likely to replace those reserves. In a ‘typical’ summer, lawns go somewhat dormant and resume active growth when conditions improve. The downside of dormancy is the appearance of the lawn and the risk of problems arising on the inactive lawn, such as weed invasions and insect attacks. The common question is – how much water is enough to keep the turf alive?
A range of 2.5 to 3 inches per week would be suggested for most turf stands where Kentucky bluegrass is the primary species. However, with low Colorado humidity, this may not be enough to keep a yard as green as other areas of the country. As always, mowing should be on a frequent basis so that no more than one-third of the leaf blade is removed in any one cutting.Keeping grass taller (2.5 to 3 inches in height) is strongly recommended. Taller turf allows more shading of the soil, conserving what moisture is in the soil.
Whenever possible, limit traffic of any type on the lawn. Drought stress will occur faster on turf stands with poor soil conditions such as we have here in Colorado. Soil compaction, clay fill, heavy sand, high pH, and general poor conditions for root growth become very evident under stress conditions such as drought. Although immediate corrections may not be possible, make notes of problem areas that will need to be addressed later.Work on improving rooting of the lawn grasses by watering more heavily but less often. Short periods of water (less than 15 minutes per zone) forces roots to move upwards to seek surface level moisture since there is very little water penetration. This quickly establishes a weak root system which in turn makes turf more susceptible to drought. (Watering less than half an inch per watering cycle will cause this kind of root problem.) Watering more than 15 minutes per zone is recommended, unless on a steep slope where water rolls off.
Lawns with problem thatch layers will experience drought stress sooner. Many of the same soil factors just mentioned are likely to be the cause. In addition, take a close look at management practices that may contribute to thatch, such as uneven watering, over watering, and improper mowing.
Revive is a good product to help lawns during drought periods. Mountain High’s Lawn Department will be happy to add a Revive treatment to any lawn care program or even do a Revive treatment once or twice over the heat of the summer to help your lawn fight the hot, dry conditions. Feel free to contact us for Revive treatment pricing.
We can help you manage your lawn during a drought, click here to send us an estimate request, or call us at 303.232.0666.