Grass requires plenty of water to keep it green and growing. Long periods without rain, like we've been in recently in North Florida, can mean that you end up with a dying yard. Here are ten ways to make sure your lawn is ready for the drought.
- Irrigate deeply and less often – Set your irrigation to use plenty of water at once. Watering longer will allow you to space out your waterings. This will encourage your grass roots to reach down for the water instead of just accessing what is available near the surface.
- Avoid fertilizers – Don’t apply fertilizers to your lawn before or during a season of drought. This is actually harmful to your lawn rather than helpful because it increases the need for water.
- Raise the mower height – By raising the cutting height on your mower, you will be encouraging root growth in your grasses. This will help the grass stay greener longer during a drought season. This is ESPECIALLY true for St. Augustine grass.
- Increase potassium – Prior to a drought season, change your fertilizer to one that contains a higher level of potassium. Potassium may encourage root growth in your grasses. The key term here is prior, and that is months prior; not just before the drought.
- Change grass types – Zoysia turf grasses are stronger against drought than St. Augustine. If drought is a frequent problem, you may want to consider increasing these types of grasses in your lawn. St. Augustine grass is not very drought tolerant at all, although it is easily the most popular grass in our area.
As you can see, there are a lot of things you can do to help keep your lawn greener, longer, during a drought period. Just remember, that if you can water, watering longer and less often will be better for your grass than small amounts every day. Please let us know if you have any other questions or would like any help with your irrigation system.