The summer of 2024 has brought brutal heat and humidity to East Tennessee. Multiple days with triple-digit heat indexes made things sweaty, sticky and downright uncomfortable. An extended heat wave with little to no rain also can be calamitous for your lawn. It seems especially timely, then, for your landscapers in Kingsport to provide some guidance on how to care for your lawn during a drought.
A Drought Has Two Different Stages of Impact on Your Lawn
Stage 1 is called drought stress, and it occurs when your grass continues to grow but is not receiving the amount of rainfall or moisture that it needs to remain nourished. During this stage, grass enters a state of dormancy induced by the drought. Symptoms include your grass thinning or losing its color.
The second, advanced stage is drought damage and occurs from the long-term effects of drought stress. This occurs when excessive heat and lack of rainfall have completely disrupted the natural processes of the grass. Your lawn will continue to thin and, depending on the extent of the damage, may struggle to develop good, solid growth even when the next spring arrives.
How Should You Care for Your Lawn During a Drought
Water, water and more water: You should water your lawn deeply at least three times a week, preferably in the late evening. This helps prevent drought stress from occurring. As a general rule of thumb, your lawn should receive an inch of water each week during the growing season.
Stay at greater heights: When mowing during times of extreme heat, never remove more than one-third of the grass blade. Also stop mowing if your grass shows signs of drought stress or dormancy due to drought conditions. Mowing your yard in this state can kill the grass.
Don’t forget to fertilize: When the weather cools and fall arrives, your lawn is going to need time to recover. Having the proper nutrient levels aids in that recovery. Promier Landscapes can provide professional fertilization services tailored to your unique grass and the composition of the soil on your property.
Can You Overwater Your Lawn?
You sure can. Watering your lawn too much can drown the microbes contained in your soil that are crucial to keeping the soil healthy and staving off issues such as the growth of moss, algae and other fungi. By contrast, underwatering hinders the health and appearance of your yard, changing the color and even the shape of the grass blades. New growth also is hindered because nutrients have difficulty reaching the grass roots.
Professional Irrigation in Kingsport, Johnson City and Bristol in Tennessee
When it comes to making sure your lawn receives the proper amount of moisture, no matter the season or the weather, a professional irrigation system is the best choice. The team at Promier Landscapes uses their expertise to calculate the exact pipe sizing, water pressure, volume and head spacing that are needed for your specific outdoor space. Stop playing the guessing game of whether your yard has received enough water or spending an hour each evening watering your grass. To find out more, schedule a complimentary consultation with a member of our team. Call (423) 872-2988 or contact us online.