Water Conserver - is your lawn suffering from drought stress?

Although the majority of us enjoy long warm summers, low rainfall can cause a lawn to suffer from drought stress.

There are some simple ways of knowing if your lawn is suffering from this:

• Check the colour – a lawn that needs a drink will not have a lush, green appearance. It will almost have a bluish/grey tint to it, before turning brown. Once watered, the colour will return.
• Footprints – a well watered lawn will spring back when walked over. A dry lawn will not, and footprints will remain in the grass for longer than usual.
• Foliage – a grass plant in need of water will start to wilt. The drier the conditions, the worse the wilting will become.
• Soil – if the soil is dry, there is no moisture for the grass plant to utilise. This is evident when the soil is cracked and solid – try inserting a key or screwdriver into the soil.

Once the soil in a lawn has dried out, it can develop ‘dry patch’, a turf disorder that makes the soil actually repel water as the soil particles develop a waxy covering which repels the water applied. The technical term for this is ‘hydrophobic’.

When to Water?

Very early morning is a good time to water your lawn as the temperature is generally cooler and the water is less likely to evaporate. You can also water your lawn in the evening when the sun has gone down.

How much Water?

A lawn typically requires 1” of rainfall a week; a deep soaking twice a week is much more beneficial than a light sprinkling every day. This will promote stronger deeper roots and the lawn will be less likely to dry out.

Water Conserver Treatment

GreenThumb now offers a new ‘drought busting’ water conserver treatment, which has been proven to keep your lawn greener for longer during prolonged periods of dry weather. Our Oasis Treatment Programme will keep moisture attached to the root zone and will reduce the amount of watering needed to keep your lawn looking green during dry periods. In lawns where the soil is mostly clay, the amount of water to keep the plant green can be reduced by up to 80% and in a sandy soil by upto 50%; vital if you have a water meter.

Please note that this treatment is not a substitute for watering the lawn. All living things need water to survive – a lawn is no different. The treatment utilises available water; if there is no moisture present then there is nothing for the treatment to work with.

If your lawn has suffered over the recent hot, dry summers, speak to your local GreenThumb team, who will be able to advise you what treatment programme will be best for your lawn.