Porirua, Hutt Valley and Wellington have had up to (and beyond) 30 degree heat over the last week. Soaring temperatures combined with a lack of rain have led to a water ban on “unsupervised irrigation,” and it’s not even officially summer yet.
With New Zealand forecasted a warmer than usual summer, and lawns already looking brown and brittle, is there any hope for keeping your lawn alive?
The answer is yes – and Green Genie has all the information you need to know to bring your lawn back to its full, green glory.
Prevent your lawn from turning brown
It’s true what they say – prevention is better than cure. If you’re lucky enough to still have a lush lawn in your garden, you can prevent it turning brown in the first place by mowing it no less than 75mm high. This allows the grass to grow more densely, protecting the soil from drying out. Regular mowing at this height throughout the summer will keep your lawn from dying out, with minimal need for watering.
What to do if your lawn has suffered from drought
When it’s not hot and dry (closer to Wellington’s typically changeable weather), your summer lawn is usually quick to grow and get out of hand. That’s because grass is hardy and resilient. Most types of grass can survive periods of drought, and although your lawn may look yellow, brown and dry, it’s often dormant – not dead, and just needs the next wet-weather spell to reinvigorate it.
Dormancy is a normal response to the stress of heat and drought. Most lawns can stay in a dormant state for at least 3 to 4 weeks without dying. When conditions improve, the grass will recover.
Is your lawn dormant or dead?
To determine if your lawn is dormant or dead, get down to the soil level to look at the root. Lawns that are dormant will have brown blades of grass, but the base of the blade will still be green and the roots will have an off-white color. If your grass is dead, the entire structure, including the roots, will be brown and brittle.
If your lawn is dormant, with a little work, you can bring it back to life. If the lawn is in fact dead, you will need to reseed or replace it – summer is not the time to start, but that’s another blog post for another day.
During a drought – how to care for your dormant lawn
Keep on mowing – but not too low. Grass will eventually stop growing during a drought, but continue to mow the lawn (even if your grass is dormant, the weeds won’t be). Mowing to approx 75mm high will keep the moisture in and prevent weeds from ‘invading’ any bare patches. Ensure your mower blades are sharp – dull blades will leave jagged edges that quickly dry out and turn brown.
Mulch, don’t catch – leaving grass clippings on the lawn will provide moisture. But ensure the clippings are mulched well – not too thick or in clumps, or they will suffocate the lawn.
Water sparingly. According to the Lawn Institute, it’s better to stop watering at the beginning of a drought than to water a lawn for a short period of time and then stop. A brown, dormant lawn may be in better condition to survive a drought than a lawn that was occasionally watered.
However, if drought goes beyond 4 weeks, the advice is to “apply enough water to re-hydrate the grass slightly and wet the soil down to a 5-inch (12.5 cm) depth. This will not green up the turfgrass in most cases, but will keep the plant alive.” (Source: The Lawn Institute)
Don’t apply fertiliser. Dormant grass doesn’t require as many nutrients. Although fertiliser will promote growth of the grass from the top, it could disrupt the roots and potentially cause damage, or kill your already struggling lawn.
Spot-control weeds. A dormant lawn can provide a great opportunity to pull out persistent weeds, but don’t apply a liberal dose of weed spray to the whole lawn – control weeds by manually pulling them out and/or spot-spraying problem plants.
After a drought – how to bring your dormant lawn back to life
Water thoroughly. Once water restrictions are lifted, soak the lawn well to restore moisture and initiate new root growth.
Fertilise. After about two weeks of watering, apply a fertiliser. A high-nitrogen fertiliser could damage the lawn if hot, dry weather returns, so ask your local gardening supplier for a lower-nitrogen option.
Kill weeds. Continue to spot-treat weeds. Eliminating weeds means more moisture and nutrients available for the grass. And as the lawn thickens, it’ll start to crowd out the weeds on its own.
Return to routine maintenance. Resume your regular lawn-maintenance schedule, which should include consistent watering, mowing and mulching.
Let Green Genie take care of your lawn
Let us do the hard work of keeping your dormant lawn in a tidy shape, or of bringing a dead lawn back to life. Talk to the experts at Green Genie for a tailored quote for lawn care services.
Image credit: Stuff