Drought is a prolonged period of inadequate rainfall, resulting in regional water shortages. While these conditions affect entire ecosystems, they also pose challenges for lawns.
Knowing how to adjust your lawn care routine when water becomes scarce can mean the difference between a lawn that recovers quickly and one that needs complete renovation.
Understanding drought's impact on lawns
Severe heat and drought create visible lawn heat stress signals in grass:
- Footprints remain visible for hours
- Blades turn blue-gray before browning
- Leaves fold along their length
- Growth slows dramatically or stops
Recognizing these early warning signs allows you to take action before permanent damage occurs.
Lawn care strategies for drought
When drought strikes, conventional lawn care practices can do more harm than good. These specialized techniques help your grass survive even severe water shortages:
Modify your mowing approach
During drought, adjusting mowing practices is crucial.
Set your blade to the maximum height to shade soil and reduce evaporation. Use exceptionally sharp blades to create clean cuts that heal quickly and lose less moisture.
Sunday Tip:
If your grass has stopped growing completely, consider suspending mowing entirely until conditions improve. This prevents additional stress on already struggling plants.
Targeted prevention with Drought Defense
Sunday's Drought Defense is specifically formulated to help lawns withstand dry conditions. This liquid treatment uses advanced surfactant technology combined with seaweed and potassium to improve water absorption and efficiency.
Applied before or during drought conditions, it helps your lawn make the most of limited moisture, potentially reducing water needs by up to 20%.
Make the most of limited watering in lawns
Most drought-affected regions implement mandatory watering restrictions. Work within these guidelines by:
- Water exclusively in the early morning (4-6 am) to avoid water loss to mid-day heat
- Use pulse irrigation (short bursts and rest periods) for better absorption
- Prioritize sunny areas or newer grass that haven't established deep roots
- Skip sections in shade, which naturally require less supplemental water
Sunday Tip:
For extremely dry soil that repels water, apply a quarter-inch of water, wait 30 minutes, then apply the remainder. This prevents water loss and helps moisture reach grass root zones where it's needed most.
Protect drought-stressed grass from traffic
Heavy foot traffic can create lasting damage to drought-weakened lawns. Create temporary pathways using stepping stones or mulch to concentrate impact away from vulnerable turf.
Sunday Tip:
For play areas that must remain accessible to kids or pets, consider a light watering before use to make grass blades more flexible and resilient to activity.
Embrace strategic lawn dormancy
When severe water restrictions hit, allow your lawn to enter dormancy. This natural survival mechanism conserves energy while keeping crown tissue (where your grass grows) alive.
Instead of fighting dormancy with insufficient water, let your lawn go gold, and provide just enough moisture (1/4 inch every three weeks) to prevent complete dehydration. This minimal irrigation allows for recovery while minimizing water waste.
Lawn recovery after drought
When rainfall finally returns, resist the common mistake of immediately applying nitrogen fertilizers. This forces premature top growth before root systems can recover. Instead:
- Gradually reintroduce normal watering routines over 2-3 weeks
- Address soil compaction once moisture levels normalize
- Repair bare patches with drought-resistant varieties when seeding times resume
This slowed approach to repair helps your lawn recover while building resilience against future drought events. Once your lawn has recovered, you can resume applying your Sunday nutrients.
Sunday Tip:
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Common questions about drought lawn care
Should you cut your lawn during drought?
If your grass continues growing (even slowly), you can maintain a routine mowing schedule at a higher height.
If growth has essentially stopped, suspend mowing entirely to prevent additional stress. Make sure mower blades are razor-sharp to minimize moisture loss through damaged tissue.
How long should you water during drought?
Focus on watering depth rather than watering duration. The goal is to get water deep into soil (~6-8 inches deep). Use a soil probe or screwdriver to check penetration after watering – it should slide easily through properly moistened soil.
Sunday Tip:
For most irrigation systems, apply about 0.5-1 inch of water, but efficiency matters more than volume. Water that runs off provides no benefit to your lawn.
Can a brown lawn recover from drought?
Properly maintained lawns can survive 4-6 weeks of dormancy and recover fully when moisture returns. The key is distinguishing between dormancy (uniform tan or brown color) and death (irregular patterns, plants that pull out easily).
If your dormant lawn received minimal maintenance watering during drought, it will typically green up within 2-3 weeks of rainfall return. Lawn areas that experienced complete dieback may need overseeding once conditions stabilize.
Building long-term drought resilience for lawns
As climate patterns continue to change, incorporating drought resilience into your regular lawn care becomes increasingly important:
- Consider reducing lawn area and replace with drought-adapted plants
- Install rainwater barrels where permitted for irrigation use during restrictions
- Improve soil organic matter through regular compost applications
- Choose grass varieties bred for reduced water requirements
These proactive steps create naturally drought-resistant landscapes that require less intervention during inevitable water shortages.
Let's get growing
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Cited sources
Drought Conditions Continue in Spring 2021.
Lawn Care Tips to Save Water During Drought (drought). University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Managing Lawns During Drought - Lawn Talk. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
United States Drought Monitor. University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
