06/10/2026
Drought stress is pretty easy to recognize but does not always exhibit textbook-obvious symptoms. Oftentimes, underlying issues with a lawn may become evident during times of drought. Areas that would not normally appear in bad shape will do so when the added stress of dry weather persists.
If proper mowing and watering have not been taking place on a lawn, stress will:
- Be seen earlier
- Do more damage
- Compound on top of other stresses
- Be more vulnerable to future issues
- Take longer to recover.
Sometimes, nature and weather just get the best of us, no matter how hard we try.
When soil is excessively dry for too long, especially clay soil, it can become hydrophobic. This means that rather than absorbing water, it will be more prone to repelling it for a time. Soil particles tighten and the microbiology of the soil slows down. The end result is a lawn that is harder to pull out of drought stress even when watered.
Rescue efforts include:
1. Water frequently for short periods - once or twice daily for 3 days, giving 1/4" of water.
2. Core aerate to allow water to pe*****te into the soil more easily.
3. Consider our PGR program, which creates a more resilient lawn that resists stress, among many other things.
4. After the first 3 days of short cycle watering, then water only once or twice weekly for a total of 1"-2" of water each week. This will encourage deep roots that are less prone to future drought stress and simultaneously allow the soil to dry out in between watering just enough that fungus is not promoted.
5. Trust that we are taking this drought into consideration and adding different products to the June and July applications to assist during this time. This is a polyacrylamide product that flocculates the soil to allow for better moisture pe*******on and retention.
