Dry lawn? Proper care is essential

You can tell that your lawn is suffering from a drought of course. The most obvious sign is yellowish to brown colour. It is not a uniform change or sudden change. First, you notice some areas and the number grows, especially if you are experiencing a prolong drought. Another clear sign is a very hard soil and even if you water, the water runs off, forms puddles and you cannot water evenly. Another very early sign is when you walk on your lawn you see your footprints and the lawn seems to have hard time to recover. A clear sign that your lawn is suffering. When grass is stressed, you may notice that it has a purplish shiny colour.

Mowing lawn during dry season

Whether your lawn goes through a dry season or not, do not cut too low. A general rule is to cut no more than one-third of the total height in one mowing session. Grass stressed by drought and cut too low suffers a great deal – tall grass retains more moisture.

Photo: Pixabay

Sharp mower blades

Did you sharpen your mower blades before the season? If you did not, start doing it! Sharp blades provide a clean cut and grass heals better and quicker. If you use dull blades you will not achieve a clean cut and you will put an unnecessary stress on your lawn.

Proper watering

If nature does not provide enough water, you must provide it. Water as needed. The ideal time is early in the morning. A great way is to purchase an irrigation system with a timer that will do all the work for you.

Fertilization

When you notice that your lawn is in poor condition, you might be tempted to add nutrients. But that is a mistake! Fertilizers are usually designed to stimulate above-ground plant growth – at the expense of underground growth.Plants are basically forced to use a precious energy to develop green part and not roots. Therefore, wait with fertilization until the situation is normalized before fertilizing.

Can you save dead grass?

If certain areas of your lawn seem to be beyond recovery, you may try the following. Start by removing dry grass by scrubbing all the way to the soil. Loosen the soil with a hoe and rake. It must not be hard. In some cases you may add some nutritious soil. Sprinkle with grass seeds and with soil. Gently compact the soil and add fertilizer and starter mulch. Water lightly. Water often but in small doses.

Source:

https://www.scotts.com/en-us/library/lawn-care-basics/care-for-lawn-in-drought
https://www.familyhandyman.com/article/how-do-i-repair-dry-grass

Preview photo: Pixabay