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Q: It’s been really hot and dry where I live, and I’ve noticed brown patches in my yard. Do I have a drought-stressed lawn? If so, how do I treat it?
A : Depending on the type of grass and the clime , brownish piece can definitely be a sign of a drouth - stressed lawn . But before researching drouth - tolerant lawn alternatives , step can be taken to save the yard — sometimes without spending a dime . By watering properly , aerating , using one of thebest lawn fertilizers , and overseeding , householder can get their lawns in tip - top embodiment in no sentence . The key are forbearance and not overtreating the thousand , which can impose more tension on the grass .
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Drought stress happens when a lawn is not receiving enough water for its active growing period.
When belated spring and summer striking , it ’s well-off to start to see the effects of hot , ironic conditions on a yard . What once was a luxuriant , greenish space can turn into a yellowed , patchy problem that take to be come up to . Often , in these case , grass is in its active growing body politic but not get enough water or nutrients . As a result , thegrass proceed into a dormant statethat shows the stress it ’s under . A quick lookup for “ lawn drought - stress image ” can facilitate homeowners reassert the problem is drought and not other issues , such as disease or pests .
Drought stress or damage can look like thinning grass, brown patches, and dull grass color.
Since a lot of lawns control different specie of grass , it ’s not rare for a drought - stressed lawn to have a patchy coming into court . This is because some species , such as nerveless - season pot , go into a dormant state and twist yellow when water is low and temperatures are high . “ Cool - season forage are less accustomed to heat and favor humidity , ” says Frank Rossi , chief science policeman atSunday Lawn Care .
ingest a drought- or heat - stressed lawn does n’t mean thegrass is dead , but rather that lawn drouth - stress treatment may be necessary . “ By the end of the summertime , grass that has been overexposed to consistent heat and drouth may have to insert a dormant Department of State just to survive until the next outflow , ” Rossi says . “ This grass will count grayish and then eventually brown or straw - colored . ”
Proper watering (and not overwatering) is important for a lawn with drought stress.
When grass looks brown and leaden , it may be tempt to to a fault fertilize and water , and some may think that a drouth - tolerant lawn is one that is incessantly being watered . On the contrary ; spare watering can in reality lead to more equipment casualty to a G .
“ If you ’re suspect that the summertime is exact a toll on the lawn , the first rule is , like a doctor , do no harm : Stop doing everything , ” Rossi says . To combat dry experimental condition , it ’s less crucial how often the grass is water and more of import to think about how deeply the H2O is penetrating the soil . Deep , infrequent watering will boost deeper rooting without stressing the grass . coolheaded - season grass probably needs about 1 inch of urine per workweek applied either in one watering or part into two .
Mowing higher can help revive a lawn.
A no - cost mode to facilitate treat aheat - stressed lawnis to raise the mowing tiptop to between 2 and 4 inches , depending on the type of Mary Jane . Because the height of the locoweed is often relative to the depth of its rooting , the longer the Mary Jane pinnacle is , the deep the etymon will fathom the soil . This let the grass to access water that ’s deeper in the grime . It also gives roots better access to any nutrient in the territory to boost growth , even in the hot , ironic conditions .
Fertilizing the lawn with the right balance of nutrients at the right times can keep it looking healthy.
Even thebest constitutive lawn fertilizerwon’t be efficient if it ’s applied at the wrong time . If fertiliser is applied while the grass is struggle or under stress , it pressure the locoweed to want to grow when its energy should be directed toward stay dormant or contend off the drought strain . Fertilizer is best give once the lawn has bounced back , typically in the early to late fall or before the summer heat .
Products such asSunday Lawn Care Lawn Aidcan help beef up grass with the right balance of nutrients to prevent it from becoming heat- or drouth - stressed . Lawn Aid can also be utilise to a lawn when it ’s punctuate , although homeowners likely wo n’t see improvements during the time of year .
Aerating the lawn can help nutrients penetrate deeper into the soil.
air the lawn necessitate digging out minuscule holes in the lawn with a mechanically skillful tool . It can help create a drouth - tolerant lawn by helping the grime better soak up water and other nutrients it may be lacking in ironic conditions . Those who do n’t have one of thebest lawn aeratorscan discover an affordable handheld one for around $ 30 .
Overseeding the lawn will help make the lawn fuller again.
When a lawn is overseeded , extra skunk seed is set on top of the exist smoke to help fill up in mere patches , raise the vividness , or improve the density of the grass . One of thebest plant food spreaderscan also be used for spreading semen , and this tool make the process much faster and practice the seed more evenly . Once employ , the seeds can help promote new grass growing and create a Melville W. Fuller G . Using adrought - resistant lawn seedthat ’s suitable for the climate , such as Bermuda grass for warmer region or magniloquent fescue for cool regions , can prevent a drouth - stressed lawn in the futurity .
Minimizing foot traffic helps the lawn stay lush.
Regular metrical foot traffic can stimulate more wrong to a drouth - accentuate lawn since grass blades in stressed conditions do n’t spring back up . Whether residents or guests tend to walk specific itinerary , it ’s just to vary the routes so the lawn is n’t damaged further .
Homeowners can considerdrought-resistant lawn alternatives.
Many may want to void the potential for lawn problems altogether and are considering the price to convert the lawn to be drouth - patient of . Somedrought - broad lawn ideasinclude incorporating other grass and greens into an exist railway yard . Grasses like fescue require minimal mowing and hold up well to drought . Microclover does n’t allow piss to evaporate as easily , keep a yard hydrated for farsighted . householder can overseed their lawns with trefoil or fescue or replace their lawn altogether with these lower - upkeep green . ( And for pet parents , trefoil is impervious to pee , so no need to worry about dead spots on the lawn . )
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Photo: istockphoto.com
Photo: istockphoto.com
Photo: istockphoto.com
Photo: istockphoto.com
