EAST DUNDEE, Ill. — The drought on the west coast and parts of the south west has heightened awareness of water use nationwide. If you happen to be in an area that is currently going through an unusually dry period, with little or no precipitation and are faced with watering restrictions, these helpful suggestions from The Lawn Institute can help you care for your lawn, conserve water and help the environment. They may also be helpful for homeowners who want to make a conscious effort to regulate their irrigation practices.
One of the most important things to understand is a lawn’s ability to go dormant for differing lengths of time depending on the genetics of the species and the overall health of the plant. Dormancy is simply a state of reduced water usage where the turfgrass plant focuses resources on the roots. Most grasses can live through reasonably long periods of drought.
If a drought and/or hot weather continues for an extended period of time, or if watering restrictions are implemented in your community, the following recommendations may prove helpful:
• The best times to water your lawn are in the early morning or early evening when there is generally less wind and heat.
• The least desirable times are in the afternoon when water evaporates quickly because of heat, or late in the evening which can cause the lawn to stay wet all night encouraging disease development.
• Over-watering is much worse than under-watering.
• Water only when the soil is dry 4 to 6 inches below the surface. Most turfgrass plants can stay in a dormant state for at least 3-4 weeks without the grass dying (longer if the dormancy is induced by cold). If drought goes beyond the 4 week mark, apply enough water to re-hydrate the grass slightly and wet the soil down to a 5-inch (12.5 cm) depth.
• A quarter-inch (0.6 mm) of water every four to six weeks will keep the vital turfgrass crowns hydrated and capable of greening up when temperatures cool and moisture is again available. In most cases, this will not green up the turfgrass, but it will keep the turfgrass plant alive.
• Use a screwdriver or other probe to determine dryness.
• If grass doesn't spring back after being walked upon it might be time to consider a small amount of irrigation as previously suggested.
• Eliminate all traffic on the lawn especially during the heat of the day when foot traffic and even mowing can injure the turfgrass plants and cause almost immediate dehydration.
• Restrict watering to those areas determined as most important.
• Increase watering on areas near buildings and other heat reflecting surfaces and on high or sloped areas where wind can dry the lawn faster and water may not penetrate as deeply.
• Save water by installing specialized sprinkler heads to more precisely deliver the water, adjusting irrigation timers for seasonal weather conditions or by using computer-controlled irrigation systems with rain/moisture sensors that automatically respond to daily changes in weather conditions.
• If rain is expected turn off your sprinklers.
• Follow the one-third rule when mowing, removing no more than one-third of the turfgrass leaf blade.
• Mow less and only in the early morning or evening when temperatures are cooler because turfgrass loses moisture after every mowing.
• Keep the mower blade sharp. Dull mower blades tear and shred the leaf blades of turfgrass rather than cutting them cleanly. Shredded leaf blades increase water losses.
• Drought stress will occur faster on lawns with poor soil conditions underneath. Soil compaction, clay fill, high pH, and general poor conditions for root growth become 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.
• At the end of a drought, when cooler weather returns, or when watering restrictions are reduced or eliminated, grass will naturally begin to recover.
These suggestions will help your lawn during a drought, conserve water and help to ensure that when circumstances return to normal you will have a beautiful, healthy lawn that provides a safe play area that effectively controls erosion and dust, converts carbon dioxide to clean oxygen, entraps particulate pollutants and cools the air.
For more information about lawns and lawn care maintenance visit The Lawn Institute at www.thelawninstitute.org/
Latest from Lawn & Landscape
- Tennessee's Tree Worx acquired by private equity firm
- Enter our Best Places to Work contest
- Hilltip adds extended auger models
- What 1,000 techs taught us
- Giving Tuesday: Project EverGreen extends Bourbon Raffle deadline
- Atlantic-Oase names Ward as CEO of Oase North America
- JohnDow Industries promotes Tim Beltitus to new role
- WAC Landscape Lighting hosts webinar on fixture adjustability
