An unusually dry June and very hot July have combined to create drought conditions in the South Shore. Local farmers report difficulties finding adequate water supplies to irrigate their crops; the National Weather Service has all of Eastern MA under a severe drought warning. Several towns are in peril of running out of water entirely. Let’s talk about what this means for your lawn.
Obviously, when water supplies are very low, irrigating lawns is not a high priority item. Some species of grass are more drought-resistant than others: Buffalo grass will go dormant when there’s no rain, only to return to its normal lush self when there’s water available. Certain species of Zoysia grass are also highly drought tolerant. If you have this kind of grass in your yard, things may look harsh now, but there’s a fairly reasonable expectation that everything will get back on track eventually. It’s important to feed and fertilize your lawn during drought periods: roots that are starving for water desperately need the extra boost of nutrition. Long-rooted grasses, such as fescue, can find deep pockets of ground water to feed themselves, but the prolonged, hot nature of this summer’s weather has been hard for them.
Your South Shore lawn service can help you determine if your grass has gone dormant or if it has died. If the drought has proven to be too much for your lawn, reseeding is the next step, with care taken to choose drought-resistant varieties of grass. While we have no way to know for certain that this year’s dry conditions will repeat themselves, drought-tolerant grasses are prepared to thrive just in case. Talk with your lawn service. They can help you choose the right variety of grass that will meet your aesthetic preferences while also working with local growing conditions. Choosing the right varieties of grass and other plantings makes a huge difference in the appearance and hardiness of your lawn.
