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What
to do when droughts happen
If the grass is still growing, mow higher to encourage roots to go deeper, helps
shade the roots, and slows down soil evaporation. It also helps trap any
dew that may form during the night. Stretch the time between irrigations to the maximum. Water efficiently, wasting no water to runoff and water thoroughly. Don't water just a little bit; that only encourages weeds.
During severe water shortages, let the lawn go brown. A healthy lawn of a perennial grass, though completely brown, can survive months with no water and will recover quickly once rains return.
Once your geographic area is in the midst of a drought, it's too late
to apply preventative measures (these will be discussed at the end of
this article). It's now time to take damage control measures. Here are
the tips:
If you're already in a restricted water use condition because of a drought:
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Studies
show that lawns on regularly scheduled fertilizer applications
recover faster than those that are not regularly fertilized. However, don't apply fertilizer to your
brown lawn in hopes of turning it green like your neighbor down the
street that is secretly watering his lawn during the night.
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Avoid excessive foot traffic on a stressed lawn.
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As the lawn turns brown from an extended drought, weeds will continue to thrive
as green patches. Now is a good time to apply spot applications of
weed-killer to these areas. Avoid spraying it on the lawn as best
you can, even for lawn-friendly weed-killers.
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Don't water a little here and there or now and then— it
just makes the lawn worse. Lawns are designed by nature to shut down
(go dormant) under extreme conditions. Putting a little water on the
lawn fools it into thinking, "hey, maybe things aren't so bad"
instead of preparing itself for a continued period of no water.
- Your lawn will survive several weeks with no water. If the drought continues into months and you can water, try whatever methods you can to apply some water to the lawn. If that's not possible, you will probably need to repair the lawn when things improve, especially in areas of the yard that are next to concrete areas or in areas where the soil is compacted.
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If you're allowed a little watering, concentrate on
making certain your important trees and shrubs have an adequate water
supply. These costly investments won't die right away from a drought
and you may not see the damage for a year or so. Weakened woody plants
are more susceptible to insect damage that may go unnoticed until
it's too late.
- Don't over-seed or try to rejuvenate the lawn until fall when rainfall
is usually more plentiful and the drought is over.
Watering daily vs. weekly
Applying 1/20 inch of water daily supplies nearly 1" of water a week. Yet the lawn is not as healthy as if you had applied the water in one 1" or two 1/2" applications. The more water you apply at one time (provided it doesn't run off) the deeper and healthier the root system grows and the better that lawn is to extended water shortages.
Soil types
Sandy soil is porous and water flows in and out of it quickly. To wet sandy soil to 6 - 8" depths, water in 1/2" increments
Loam is the ideal soil. It is porous, yet will retain moisture. Follow normal watering recommendations of 1" per week
Clay soil holds the most water, but it is slow to absorb and release it. Adjust your watering so that you stop when the soil begins to show run-off. Let the water soak in, then repeat until the required amount has been applied.
View: National Drought
Monitor
Read: "How
to make your lawn more drought resistant"
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