The systems are controlled via WiFi and respond to water and soil conditions to deliver just the right amount of water. Part of preparing for a drought is preparing your soil to handle water as efficiently as possible.
Clayey soil is dense and does not absorb water well, leading to pooling and runoff. The best soil is loamy soil, containing equal parts clay, sand, and silt, plus humus or organic matter like manure or compost. Loamy soil can absorb and hold water so that it can fully penetrate, and the grass roots have time to absorb it.
If your soil is too sandy, you can improve it by adding silty organic matter. If it is too clayey, start by aerating and then add organic matter to loosen it up. Once drought sets in, it is only a matter of time before your grass wilts and goes brown. Dormancy is actually beneficial to your lawn. Most grass can remain dormant for 2 to 3 weeks. Some hardy varieties, like TifTuf Bermudagrass, can last even longer.
But how you treat your lawn during a drought can affect how well it recovers when the water returns. The first sign of stress from drought is a change in the color of your lawn. Your grass may darken before it goes brown. Healthy grass will spring back up after you walk on it. But drought-stressed grass will show footprints after you step away. If it remains off-white, the plant is healthy.
If it has begun to turn brown, your turf is in desperate need of water to prevent it from dying. As your grass is stressed and goes dormant, it becomes more susceptible to disease. Keep an eye out for opportunistic weeds, and spot treat them with a selective herbicide. If you catch weeds early, you can also remove them by hand with a simple spade. Thatch, the layer of undecomposed organic matter that collects just above the soil, is helpful when it is about a half-inch thick.
It can insulate the soil and help maintain moisture. But when it gets thicker, thatch can keep water from reaching the plant roots.
If your turf has built up a thick layer of thatch, you can dethatch with a special sharp metal rake or vertical mower. While too much dethatching can hurt an already stressed lawn, removing thatch can also help your lawn use what little water it can get.
If a drought drags on long enough, you will need to give your turf at least some water to keep it alive. Thirsty grass looses its luster as it gradually changes color from the bright, almost shiny green you are accustomed to seeing, to a dull blue-green or grey-green tint. As conditions worsen, it continues to fade to a tan or wheat color. So why do some lawns fare better than others when subjected to drought conditions?
Part of the answer is in how the lawn was managed before the lack of water became an issue. Lawns that are mature and well established stand the best chance of beating the heat and water shortages. Here are a few ideas to implement or keep in mind as you work to keep your lawn looking its best this summer.
All lawns benefit from receiving about an inch of water each week. How you deliver that water is an important step in creating a healthy lawn that can tough out the tough times. In the absence of rain, irrigate your lawn only once or twice a week so that a total of one inch is applied during this period.
Set out tuna cans in various places on the lawn where the irrigation water lands. Once the can is full, that area has received an inch of water.
Lawns that have gone dormant will have brown leaves, but the crown at the base of the leaves will still be green, and the roots will have a healthy off-white color. If is lawn is completely dead, the entire plant—leaves, crowns, and roots—will be brown and brittle. If the lawn is in fact dead, your only options are to either reseed or lay sod. But barring that fate, you can help save your troubled or dormant lawn, though it won't be easy.
The best way to protect your lawn during a drought, of course, is to simply water the grass on a regular basis. Unfortunately, that's not always an option. Most towns institute water restrictions during a drought, making it illegal to water your lawn. And if your home draws water from a deep well, the underground water table will be much lower than normal, and the well won't be able to supply enough water for both domestic use and lawn irrigation.
Even if you can legally water your lawn for now , it might not be the best idea. According to the Lawn Institute, a nonprofit lawn-research corporation, it's better to halt irrigation at the beginning of a drought than to water a lawn for a short period of time and then stop. A brown, dormant lawn may actually be in better condition to survive a drought than a lawn that was occasionally watered.
So let's assume that—like most folks—you can't water during a drought, or you fear your town might put such restrictions in place. Now what? To help your lawn absorb what little moisture is available, use a de-thatcher.
0コメント