Caring for Your Lawn in Drought Conditions

Over the past few days, it seems as though we’ve seen a decent amount of rain in Central Florida. With cloudy skies and the occasional afternoon shower, you wouldn’t think your region might be under drought conditions. However, according to the National Drought Mitigation Center, 62.1% of the state is currently under abnormally dry conditions; near the beginning of last December, over 17% of the state was considered to be in severe drought.

Though our current dryness is no cause for alarm, you should know that there are different lawn care procedures in severely dry weather than in average moisture levels. From the Longwood mower parts experts at Gator Mower Parts, here are 3 tips for grooming your lawn in a drought:

The grass isn’t always greener. There’s nothing more beautiful than a verdant lawn, but sometimes we have to accept that the grass isn’t always going to be green. When the grass goes brown, it is reacting to lower water levels in the area and going dormant, i.e. doing exactly what it’s supposed to. Give it a break.
Sorry for the waterworks. When you do start to notice some dormancy in your yard, do NOT increase your watering schedule. Doing so will only confuse your grass and cause it to go into shock, leading to some serious damage. When you do water, do so responsibly and sparingly. Opt to turn on your irrigation system manually and watch to make sure that everything needing water gets some before turning it off.
Bring up your blades. If you’re mowing your lawn during the drought, you should make sure your grass can preserve as much water as possible. Raising your mower blades’ height will make sure you don’t scalp your lawn and that you’re not allowing too much moisture or nutrients to escape. The grass will grow more slowly during a drought anyway, so you don’t need to cut it too low.

As with most things regarding the health and beauty of your lawn, preparation is key. Planning out a well-balanced garden and making sure you have all the tools you need to keep your grass healthy are best to do sooner rather than later. To get your mower blades sharpened and ready for drought season, get in touch with Gator Mower Parts, Longwood’s mower parts store. Give us a call at 407-260-1292 today.