June 18th

By Mutt Mulligan

Tips for cultivating a healthy lawn during a drought

Much of the United States continues to be in some stage of drought. If you live in one of the driest parts of the country – or if your area is simply experiencing a dry spell – there are ways to keep you lawn healthy even without much water.

TurfMutt shares tips for keeping lawns healthy during drought.

• Ensure you have a mixture of plants in your yard. Depending on where you live you can lower your water needs by 20-50 percent just by ensuring your have the right mix of grass, trees, shrubs, hardscape and ground cover.
• Brown isn’t bad. When grass turns brown it means it is entering a natural state of dormancy to help it conserve nutrients. If you feel you must water, give the lawn a good, long soak early in the day just once or twice a week to promote deep roots.
• Mulch rather than bag. Let the finely cut grass clippings drop back to the turf to return nutrients into the soil.
• Longer is better. Cutting grass too short can harm root development. You can let the grass grow to about 5 ½ inches before mowing. Then, remove just about half of the height of the blades. Longer blades help protect and shade the root system.

What are your best tips for lawn care during a drought? Share your ideas here or on the TurfMutt Facebook page.