Recover From Drought Conditions

Be patient, reviving your lawn after a drought can take some time and effort, but it is possible to bring it back. Here are some steps you can take to re-establish a lawn before pressure from next year’s weeds.

1. Water Deeply: Water your lawn deeply but infrequently, wetting the soil to a depth of 5”, past the floor of the root system.
2. Fertilize: Use a slow-release fertilizer to encourage new shoot growth and recovery.
3. Aerate: Aerating your lawn will direct water, nutrients, and oxygen directly to the roots, causing them to grow, speeding up recovery time.
4. Reseed Bare Patches: Small spots (fist size) will fill in quickly if practicing the steps above. Larger areas, greater than 12” x 12”, void of any green grass will need re-seeded. These areas will fill in with weeds next year and require chemical treatments to remedy.
5. Mow Correctly: With cooler temperatures, mowing slightly shorter can stimulate new growth but then maintain at 3” until the last cutting of the season.
6. Be Patient: The most important step is time and patience. Don’t waste money on seed for small imperfections. For established, healthy lawns prior to drought conditions, they often recover from fertilizer and aeration faster than new seed establishes.

Timing is everything. Early September is the target for fall seeding but there is still some time if you act quickly. Poor soil conditions, new construction, South exposures, and grass near and along concrete are areas likely to need additional help with seeding. If these areas have remained generally the same despite water/rain, the grass plants are dead.