How To Take Care Of A Lawn During A Drought?

By Author: Aric Parker
Total Articles: 5
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Drought is a serious problem in North America. Almost every part of the country has experienced it sometimes or the other in the past. Drought conditions have caused a lot of problems and one such problem is maintaining and taking care of lawns. On one hand people don’t want their beautiful and well maintained lawns to get damaged because of this water shortage problem and on the other hand, they have to keep the water conservation measures on their minds. This is a great problem that people face here in America.

However, if you have a lawn and are worried about the drought conditions, here are simple lawn care tips that landscaping companies follow to conserve water and still manage your lawn properly.

Soil Management

Appropriate soil management is very essential and landscaping companies make sure to take care of this as they consider it to be one of the most essential lawn care services. Only when the soil is healthy, there will be proper growth and development of ...
... the root system from where the grass will draw its energy from during drought. Thatch, compaction, soil composition and poor pH generally has negative impact on the soil health. The landscaping treatment firms understand this very well and so they implement cultural methods such as topdressing, de-thatching, aerating, liming and composting to improve the conditions of the soil making it ideal for turf growing.

The structure of soil basically determines its water retaining ability and its capacity to hold back and transfer nutrients to the root of the plants. Sandy soil features less water retaining capacity and nutrient in comparison to a loamy soil. So, the root systems are very much susceptible to drying out in drought afflicted sandy soil. In that case, the landscaping companies add humus rich compost to the soil profile by repeated topdressings, helping in nutrient and water retention. Even Kentucky Bluegrass, the grass that requires a lot of water, can live with just half the amount of water that it requires provided it has an extensive and healthy root system.

Water Management

The worse thing, which you can do during a drought, is to provide a sip of water to your lawn instead of letting it have a good drink. This little bit of watering will case the roots of the grass plants to reach upward rather than downward for the drink. And moreover, with water restrictions prevailing in the drought conditions, you need to water carefully.

You would want the water to be put near the root so that it sinks deep into the soil. You would definitely not want the water to evaporate or run off down the sidewalk in times of drought. Hire landscaping companies that use sweating hoses or drip irrigation to water the garden beds, shrubs and trees. However, these companies make sure to water your lawn early in the morning (any time between 4 -9 a.m.) because water evaporation takes place during the day.

Generally, a lawn needs an inch of water every week but drought tolerant grasses like fescue and Kentucky Bluegrass require anywhere from 3/4" - 1/4" water every week. These drought tolerant grasses are nonetheless unable to preserve their color when there is lack of water but are able to survive a month in such conditions. So, use lawn care services and water the lawns lightly after 3 dry weeks only if your community allows you to water.