What is lawn dormancy?
Summer brings with it hot and dry conditions, and you’ve probably seen some straw-like, brown lawns around your neighborhoods. You may be thinking that these lawns are dead but, in fact, they are in a state of dormancy, kind of like hibernation.
Summer dormancy is your lawn’s response to the stress caused by a lack of water and essential nutrients. Grass shuts down and turns brown in order to conserve these vital resources critical to the plant’s metabolism. Dormancy is a natural protection mechanism built-in to your lawn to defend it from unfavorable weather conditions.
As temperatures rise, it becomes more challenging to maintain the healthy, lush, green lawn you desire. Our last blog post provided some tips and tricks to homeowners on how to minimize drought damage to your lawn. If you’re still concerned about the state of your lawn, you’re not alone. We’ve put together some extra tips to follow to ensure your lawn will flourish when better weather prevails.
- Watering: Typically, a lawn may require at least one inch of water per week. Drought tolerant grasses, like Manderley Less Water Sod, require up to half that amount to maintain green cover.
- Mowing: Do not mow your lawn if it has gone dormant. To minimize stress, mow only as needed, early in the morning or late in the evening.
- Fertilizing: Although an application of fertilizer will not bring a lawn out of dormancy, maintaining a regular fertilizing program will provide your lawn with all the essential nutrients it needs to recover. We recommend following our 3-Step Fertilizer Program to keep your grass healthy throughout its lifecycle.
Lawn maintenance during times of drought may feel like an uphill battle, but your grass will green up again when conditions improve. Make sure to follow us on social media to see other lawn care tips and tricks to help keep your lawn its greenest!
