In Manitoba, we might go a few weeks at a time without receiving any rain. It’s frustrating to put in a new lawn and get it to successfully germinate, only to have it burn to a crisp. You may need a few suggestions for how to keep your lawn green in hot, dry weather. Follow our tips to keep your lawn healthy during drought season.
Water
Water your lawn in the morning when it is cool to allow more water to soak into the ground rather than evaporate. A significant amount of water is lost by people watering in the hot afternoon. Avoid watering in the evening to prevent fungus and disease. Make sure you have functional and easy to use watering equipment to make the process as easy as possible. Water as much as necessary to provide 1-1.5″ of water per week. Do this in one heavy watering per week and not light frequent waterings. One heavy weekly watering encourages deep root development and healthy lawns.
Keep the Grass Longer in Summer
A lawn is comprised of millions of individual grass plants. Grass, just like other plants, has a crown from which new growth emerges. If you keep the lawn longer in the summer, the blades shade the crown and protect it from burning.