Making Your Grass Drought Resistant

The heat has certainly hit Australia this summer. Whether you want to help your lawn survive the rest of summer or to prepare it for next summer, there are a range of techniques to improve your lawn’s drought tolerance. There is no one-way to prepare your lawn and help it survive the heat but there are a number of defences.

Reduce wear and tear. Keeping off the lawn as much as possible will help reduce stress.

Wait to aerate or dethatch your lawn. These practices are the most stressful for your lawns so hold off on these. They also encourage disease and insects while your lawn is stressed.

Keep lawn height as high as possible. Of course, you shouldn’t let your lawn get out of control or let weeds take over but keeping your lawn height a little taller will allow it to retain moisture and allow for more photosynthesis.

Less frequent, deep watering. Watering like this throughout the year will encourage a deep root system. This practice mimics natural rainfall and forces roots to grow deeper, searching for water. Excessive watering will only encourage disease.

Keep your mowing blades sharp. Blunt blades will fray your grass which makes it more likely to brown and become further damaged.

By following these practices in the summer heat and throughout the year, you can help make your grass drought resistant. Even if we aren’t in a drought, the heat of summer is still difficult for your lawn and may cause it to decline in health.