Mowing when your gage is too wry can damage it . Use these smart tips to properly care for your lawn through drouth .
Grass demandsmowing at least once a weekduring spring and summer in most regions . But should you mop when an extended dry full point hits and your lawn go from plushy and unripened to dry and crispy ? If you ’re relying on rainfall , it may be best to take a break from mowing during drought , but do n’t disregard lawn care wholly . These confidential information will aid secernate if your lawn is too dry to mow , and how to best like for it through drought .
Alina Rosanova / Getty Images
Credit:Alina Rosanova / Getty Images
Why Your Grass Is Turning Dry and Brown
Drought and oestrus can make an unirrigated lawn to turn brown temporarily because the grass goes dormant . coolheaded - season grasses such as Kentucky Bluegrass Country use this snitch technique to endure with a fraction of the moisture they need for good growth . cold-blooded weather is unremarkably what triggers warm - season green goddess likebermudagrassandzoysiagrassto go dormant .
In either case , the grass might reckon and feel dead , but the crest and beginning are likely still live . The blade will green up again as before long as more favorable consideration return . Wait out dormancy with estimable lawn charge practices to help your grass revive and thrive .
Should You Mow Dry Grass?
Every clock time you pout , the grass is spurred to use water and nutrient second-stringer to create Modern development . mow an overly dry lawn quickly eat moisture reserve , potentially causing more stress than the plant can palm . Only mow during drought condition if you areproviding your lawn with enough supplemental waterto foreclose it from endure dormant .
If you are not watering your lawn through a summer drought , and yourgrass has become dry and crispy , it will produce very minimally , if at all . Because of this , there is no need to mow while your grass is dormant .
While you pauseyour mowing routineuntil your lawn starts growing again , you may notice weed catch a foothold and rocketing above dormant turf grass . If this take off happening , give your lawn a trim by fructify the lawn mower deck high — about a half - inch above the height of the dormant grass . Mow off the tall weeds at that high context as often as postulate to keep grass growth in check .
Lawn Care Tips for Drought
Keep theselawn forethought tipsin mind to avoid stressing your inactive lawn during dry condition , and to avail it bounce back well when conditions become more friendly for your grass to grow again .
1. Hold off on lawn projects.
Delay dethatchingand aerating , along with resodding and other lawn renovations , until the grass is actively growing again . overhaul of any type is ab initio stressful on smoke ; wait to renovate until the turf has full wet and nutritious reserves .
2. Mow high.
When quiescence is approaching , put up the lawn mower deck up an column inch or two from theregular cut down height . Taller grass will shade off the soil , slowing wet loss and reducing weed competition . Mowing high also promotes a deep source system which is more equipped to mine for H2O during drought . go along mowing high , if call for , during quiescence . When sess green up again and starts actively develop , tighten the mop altitude .
3. Water every few weeks.
sleeping grass will survive prolonged dry enchantment , but it does require about a half - inch of weewee every two to four weeks . If natural rain does n’t occur , turn on the irrigation arrangement or get out the sprinkler . irrigate your lawn in one program in the morningto minimize evaporation . supervise the irrigation system or sprinkler closely to see to it weewee is not prodigally spray onto sidewalks and driveways .
4. Delay fertilizer application.
Fertilizer spur turf grass to raise . Dormant grass does not have wet available to use the nutrient in the fertilizer . The pasture will attempt to grow using the plant food but then will quickly fade and give out due to lack of moisture . No amount of fertilizer will green up a dormant lawn . Wait to fecundate grassuntil it ’s actively growing once again .
5. Stay on top of weeds.
Besides vie with grass for moisture and nutrient , some lawn weedsare able to carry on develop in drought conditions . now and then mowing a dormant lawn on a high context can help oneself foreclose magniloquent weeds from flowering and setting seeds . If your lawn has turned browned , it can make it easy to see the dope and either handwriting pull them or situation deal them with herbicide .
6. Maintain sharp lawn mower blades.
slow mower blades tear grass blade rather of cutting them . rupture forage blades call for 40 to 60 - percent more water to recuperate from mow than grass cut with precipitous blades . If you must mow during blistering , dry conditions , ensure your blades are sharp . Take time tosharpen mower bladesat least twice a year .
