Drought stress usually occurs in the Mid-Atlantic region during the hot summer months in times of little or no rainfall. Landscape soils become hard and dry leaving turfgrass brown and dormant. Cool season grasses such as bluegrass or fescue usually go dormant in the hottest part of the summer, only to return to full vigor in cooler fall weather. Variable factors such as shade, soil type, water availability and turfgrass variety all contribute to the degree of drought stress on your lawn.
Summer watering of cool season grasses is the best way to avoid drought stress. Watering heavily once a week keeps roots deep. Frequent, light watering leaves turf with a shallow root system susceptible to fungus disease.
Turf Characteristics
- Hardened soil, dry conditions
- Grass blades brown from tip back
- Grass may wilt and lean over
- Turf stops growing, goes dormant
- Full sun areas brown out first
What the Homeowner Can Do
Thoroughly water your lawn to a depth of 6-8 inches about once a week during drought conditions. This requires about one inch of watering or rainfall per week.
Morning is the best time to water to avoid fungus problems. It is important to be consistent with watering and not allow the lawn to go dormant. Too many fluctuations between dormancy and active growth can weaken a lawn.
If your lawn is not on a strict watering schedule, it is better to let it go dormant during dry periods than to water it sporadically.