Water Cooler: Lawn care during droughts

When you drive through the suburbs of Washington and North Idaho, you’ll notice a common home staple – a front lawn of grass. With the summer already marked by historic heat waves and wildfire conditions, smart lawn care will be essential throughout the season.

Gov. Jay Inslee has declared a drought emergency for the state, which comes earlier in the summer than most Washingtonians are accustomed to. According to the U.S. Drought monitor, almost all of North Idaho is experiencing severe, extreme or exceptional drought conditions. To get through the hot months ahead, it is time to adapt lawn care strategies.

Spokane city dwellers are known to use more water per capita than 98% of the country, and it is likely that surrounding residents have similar habits. Because of the greenery in the area and the presence of the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer, many local residents are under the impression that water is always plentiful in the region. This year, especially, that assumption is incorrect.

So what to do, just let the lawn die? Ideally, no. There are many strategies homeowners and property managers can employ to support the lawn through drought seasons while avoiding permanent damage to the grass and reducing water usage.

The first step is to accept that brown grass is not the end of your lawn. Grasses have the ability to go dormant during harsh weather, just as in winter. The grass will turn brown and take on a strawlike texture as it conserves nutrients and energy to survive until better weather conditions return. It may look dead up top, but the roots of the grass stay alive and await signs that it is safe for the grass to divert its resources to becoming green and lush once again.

There are several ways to evaluate the state of your lawn that will help you monitor dormant grasses and keep them from dying. Observe how the lawn is browning. It should be a relatively even browning throughout the lawn. If the browning is patchy, that is more likely a sign of dead grass caused by a variety of issues such as pet waste, wear, disease or pests.

Check the health of evenly browned grass by tugging a handful of grass from the turf. If it pulls up easily, the grass is likely dead. If you feel resistance, that is a sign that the roots are likely still healthy and the grass is in a dormant state.

To keep a dormant lawn alive, water at least a half an inch every two weeks. Water deeply, but infrequently. Try to get the soil somewhat saturated to a 5-inch depth in order to encourage better root growth that will help keep the lawn healthy in both extreme conditions and ideal weather.

Reduce extra stress on the grass, such as excessive foot traffic or letting play equipment or other large items sit on the lawn in the same place for a long period of time.

Avoid fertilizing the lawn as you do not want to promote leaf growth while the lawn is trying to survive and prioritize the health of its roots.

Keep on top of weeds as they compete for the little moisture and nutrients the grass has access to. You can pull them by hand after a watering session while the soil is looser.

Keep mowing regularly, but make sure to use the tallest setting possible. Mowing too short will expose the turf to more heat and sun, leading to increased moisture loss. Leave the clippings on the grass as they can help reintroduce nutrients and moisture loss and offer extra protection from the heat.