As water supplies around the world continue to feel the pinch of decreased winter snowfall and increased community needs, drought conditions will only become more frequent. In many parts of the country, as soon as a town or county declares a drought situation, you won’t be able to water your lawn. Unfortunately, your lawn will do very poorly without at least one inch of rain or water per week. That said, there are a number of things you can do to prepare your lawn for drought conditions.

Microbial Soil Agents

Aside from providing your lawn with special nutrients, microbes can make it easier for your lawn to withstand drought. Typically, microbial soil agents will provide rare elements and help grass plants utilize nitrogen from the air. In addition, beneficial fungal spores will help increase the humus content of the soil. This will act as an insulator and moisture preserver – much like hay in your vegetable garden. Check with any lawn and garden store in your area for more information about using these products correctly.

Liquid Soil Aerators

Similar to earthworms, liquid soil aerators loosen the soil around and below the roots of your grass plants. When you walk on your lawn, you compress the soil with each footstep. In addition, years of grass buildup creates a thatch that often suffocates new grass shoots and prevents adequate water penetration near the roots. Thatch removers and soil aerators can help alleviate both problems. In addition – if your local area is under drought conditions – these products will help hold what little water you are able to give your lawn at the root level where it’s needed the most.

Keep a Rain Barrel

It’s always helpful to have an extra supply of water on hand. A rain barrel will help you take advantage of any natural rain that occurs and store it for later use. Set up a system that collects any rain from your gutters by placing the downspout directly into your rain barrel. You’ll collect the most water possible this way, and you won’t have to worry about running outside and moving your barrels every time it clouds up!

Decrease or Stop Using Fertilizers

As may be expected, a growing lawn will require more water. If your lawn doesn’t have as much fertilizer available, it will grow more slowly and consequently develop sturdier growth. If you’re trying to cut back on your fertilizer usage, put more of it down in the fall so that there are plenty of nutrients available for spring growth.

Raise Height of Lawn Mower Blade

Bare or poorly protected soil is much warmer that soil protected by shade and tall plants. The warmer the soil temperature is, the faster water will evaporate from it. Therefore, you can reduce your water usage by not clipping your lawn as often and by leaving the grass clippings on the ground to help provide shade to the soil and retain moisture.

As weather patterns continue to become more erratic and municipal water supplies reach critical levels, maintaining a healthy lawn is going to become more difficult. Drought situations in particular can quickly create a situation where you can’t protect all the time and money you’ve put into your lawn. However, with a little bit of preventive maintenance and seasonal strategies, you can still have a beautiful lawn – whatever the weather.