Pampered Lawns Suffering from Dry Spell With
so much rainfall this year, the last thing I expected to be talking
about is a drought. According to National
Weather Service -
Birmingham office, East Central Alabama has received approximately 52
inches of
rainfall thus far; we are currently about eight inches above average
for the
year. Yet, the month of September has
been completely dry. In fact, the last
drop of rain that fell in East Central Alabama was from Hurricane
Katrina -
three weeks ago. Even then, we received
much more wind than rain. The abundance
of rainfall this summer was good for our home lawns but in the process
it really
pampered them. They received plenty of
water and became quite spoiled with getting watered regularly. Now with a three week dry spell and
unseasonally
warm days, many lawns are beginning to show signs of stress and dieback. They’re thirsty!
Turfgrasses, like all plants, require water for growth and survival. The most efficient way to irrigate or water a lawn is to apply water only when the lawn starts to show signs of drought stress from the lack of moisture. There are several ways to help determine when this time has come. One of the first signs of drought stress is the color of the turfgrass turns from green to a bluish-gray to even a white cast. Another indication is the "footprints" on the turfgrass. If you walk across your lawn late in the afternoon, look behind you and see if your steps have left any footprints. If so, the lawn may need watering. When your feet compress the leaf blades of the turfgrass, the low water levels in the plant tissues prevent the leaf blades from recovering, or "springing" back up, after being pushed down. If the footprints remain for an extended period of time, water the lawn to prevent the turfgrass from turning brown and becoming dormant. The visual condition of the turfgrass blades can also be used to evaluate drought stress. Turfgrass blades respond to drought stress by folding, rolling, and/or wilting. Another means of evaluating drought stress on a lawn is the "screwdriver" test. To do this test, push a screwdriver down through the lawn and into the soil. If the soil is very dry, it will be difficult to push the screwdriver down into the ground. Use this screwdriver test to confirm the results of the other visual indicators above to help determine when a lawn should be watered. If your lawn exhibits the visual symptoms of drought stress, apply about ½ to 1 inch of water, which will moisten the soil to a depth of 4 to 6 inches, depending on the soil type and degree of soil compaction. Then, after watering, use the screwdriver test to determine the depth of water penetration. This will prove valuable in the future in determining how much water should be applied. Unless the lawn has received a significant amount of rain lately, as a general rule, apply about 1 inch of water per week. Increase the amount to 1½ during severe dry periods. And it is also best to divide the irrigation time into two ½ inch applications per week. When watering, avoid applying water to the point of runoff. Allow the water to soak into the lawn and soil. If needed, apply less water and allow it to soak in before continuing with the watering process. Once you have watered the lawn, do not water again until you observe similar drought stress symptoms. Never water a lawn every day except during the establishment phase or renovation. Frequent watering only encourages shallow rooting of the turfgrass plants, making the lawn less drought-tolerant. The best time of the day to irrigate or water is early in the morning because it minimizes the potential for water loss through evaporation. In addition, watering in the morning will not create the environmental conditions that promote the occurrence of diseases. For more information, contact the Tallapoosa County Extension office at 256-825-1050. |