How To Repair Grass Damaged From Mowing Too Short

A dormant lawn in late summer.

A drought is a full buzzkill for y'all and your backyard. The skillful news is, information technology'southward not difficult to relieve it from a lack of rain. Sure, it might look a piddling worse for wear for a while, but these tips will aid make sure it'due south ready to return to its lush, green self once Mother Nature turns on the H2O again.

If your thousand is struggling from a lack of precipitation, here'south what to do.

How to Check for Signs of Stress

Some regions naturally receive more rain in the summer and less in the winter (we're lookin' at you, Florida), while places like Southern California see virtually no precipitation during the summer but get a lot in wintertime. On top of that, at that place's typically barren Arizona and endlessly rainy Seattle. The point is, know what's "normal" for your expanse and what'due south not, and and so check your grass to run into if you need to level-up the business organisation.

Hither are some symptoms of drought stress:

• Footprints in the backyard. Walk across your yard and then expect back at your path. Tin you meet your steps on the grass? Yeah? That's drought stress. This is a telltale sign that comes in handy when your lawn is nonetheless green, but you're worried almost a contempo lack of rain.

• A purplish sheen to the lawn. You'll frequently see grass looking a piddling blueish-purple/gray instead of vivid dark-green when information technology's starting to get stressed. Usually this goes hand in paw with the footprints in the backyard symptom.

• A gilt yellow or dark-brown lawn. Drought stress tends to bear on the entire backyard evenly, so if you lot only encounter patches of brownish or xanthous grass, that's most likely some other problem (like a fungal disease). If your lawn has started yellowing or turning tan during a season when it should be actively growing, it'southward probably drought-stressed.

• Hard, dry out soil. When you h2o the lawn, does the water just run off? Long spells without regular irrigation can cause the soil to become hydrophobic, which ways a water-repellent, waxy surface has developed in the soil and it's keeping your lawn from absorbing water.

How to Help a Drought-Stressed Backyard

While a drought can be an bibelot, some regions are starting to experience them more regularly. If you lot had a trouble with it last summertime, for case, make certain you really ramp up your lawn intendance this spring to get ahead of things. Stiff lawns are able to withstand and recover from drought stress faster because they accept solid root systems and thick top growth. Employ Scotts® Turf Architect® UltraFeed™ early on (following the label directions) to give your grass a heave plus the nutrients it needs for upwards to half-dozen months.

Following that, use these tips to subtract the harm a drought can do on your lawn.

• Mow high. The higher you mow, the deeper your backyard'south roots will grow. Mow at the highest meridian recommended for your grass blazon and never remove more than ⅓ of the total height in a single mowing, equally that tin can further stress your already stressed-out grass. When it's not looking lush, it'south tempting to cut grass curt—out of sight, out of mind, we experience you—but less growth on height means less root growth, and deep roots are primal to dealing with a drought.

• Sharpen your mower blades. Abrupt blades give a clean cut, which ways your grass heals faster and there'south less stress. Plus, information technology looks amend than jagged grass ripped by dull blades, so this is e'er a good thought even when your backyard is at its best. If you don't have the equipment to acuminate those blades yourself (nearly people don't), any mower repair shop can exercise it for you.

• H2o properly. If you want to keep your backyard green, water information technology daily in the early morning—this helps prepare your grass for the incoming sun. The amount will depend on the type of irrigation system you use, so experiment but err on the lower fourth dimension frame of ten-15 minutes per zone. If you decide not to water your lawn (or your area has implemented drought restrictions), no worries: Your grass is designed to stop growing, turn brown, and become dormant as a natural protection method. Merely, if it hasn't rained for a month or more, you lot may still desire to requite your backyard a light watering (recollect xv to 20 minutes) once or twice a week. This wets it but plenty to help protect it during high stress periods without causing it to green up and grow.

• Limit foot traffic. Your yard volition thank you lot if yous stay off of it while it's stressed. You'll also avert causing fifty-fifty more damage that could be difficult to gear up. Hit the local swimming pool instead.

• Avoid fertilizing every bit a quick fix. The grass looks puny, so a little fertilizer will perk information technology up, right? Nope. Fertilizer encourages grass to grow more, which ways it'll utilize up precious energy for to a higher place-basis growth. Expect until things have normalized, and then, following all label directions, treat it to Scotts® Turf Architect® Southern Lawn Food if you have warm-season grass or Scotts® Turf Architect® Backyard Food for cool-season grass. With regular rain and these region-specific formulas, your backyard will be poised to jump back into shape.

Your lawn might not wait action-prepare for a little scrap, simply hang in at that place. Most grass will rebound in due time so long every bit you lot give it what it needs. Once it does, you can both go dorsum to stress-gratis days of fun in the lord's day.