How to Manage Your Lawn in a Drought
These hot summer months have created quite a challenge for our lawns. Once lush and green yards are now brown and crunchy. But don’t throw in the towel, you can still help your lawn out so it comes out stronger on the other side (of the drought). Here are a few tips to help maintain and save your lawn.
Keep weeds down. Weeds compete with grass for all the essential nutrients to grow. The fewer weeds you have, the better chance your grass has to grow.
Mow high. Set your deck height to 3 inches. Taller grass will help shade the fragile root system. This helps keep moisture in and defends against weeds.
Sharpen your blades. When a lawn is cut with sharp blades, healing takes place quicker. Dull blades tear the plant rather than cutting it, which leads to more damage and stress to the grass.
Mulch instead of bag. Mulching your grass clippings will help keep more moisture and nutrients in your soil.
Water deeply. We suggest checking your current local regulations on watering before you get the hose out. If you’re allowed to water we suggest starting early in the morning (5 AM to 9 AM). This ensures the grass gets the moisture it needs and reduces evaporation. Water enough to get the roots wet and don’t water again until the grass is dry- this means you probably don’t need to water every day.
Letting your lawn go dormant. Many Minnesota lawns have gone dormant due to the hot weather we have had the past few months. Dormancy means active shoot growth will stop. Dormancy will turn your grass brown but it doesn’t necessarily mean it is dying, the rhizomes and roots are still alive. During this time, you want to apply just enough water to keep the turf alive until conditions improve. We suggest providing ¼ – ½ inch of water every two to four weeks. Once it cools down or rain starts to fall, growth will begin again, and the lawn will green up.
Maintaining a lawn during a drought takes a bit more care than usual. Implementing these tips will help keep your turf healthy during a dry spell and allow it to come back strong after a drought.
Northern Roots is a full-service lawn care company that listens to our clients. If you don’t want to stress about your lawn during this Minnesota drought, give us a call. We can manage your lawn so you can make the most of it during the last few months of summer. You can reach us at 763-777-4233 or email us at sales@northern-roots.com.
