Is your lawn brown? Does it sound crunchy when you walk on it? In times of drought or winter, grass goes dormant. Your lawn may look dead, but it’s possible it will thrive again when moist seasons return. Meanwhile, your sprinkler system contractor in Burlington County, NJ recommends the following tips to care for your dormant lawn.
Applying these methods will not guarantee a lush, green lawn in the future, but it will increase the likelihood your lawn will survive a harsh, dry summer or a bitter winter.
Keep a Well-Maintained Lawn Year-Round
If you take good care of your lawn during fair weather, it is more likely to survive foul circumstances. A well-maintained, mature lawn has a deep root system that can better withstand drought. Additionally, lawns with fine textured soils retain a healthier reservoir of water than sandy soils.
Keep the Status Quo
If you have not been irrigating your lawn before it goes dormant, you don’t need to start. It’s best to simply conserve water while your lawn is in survival mode. Be content with brown for now and allow your lawn to remain dormant. Some grasses automatically grow dormant and will return with favorable weather. Try applying about ½ inch of water every few weeks, simply to keep the crown alive and hydrated. Don’t expect a green color to return. This is simply to increase the lawn’s chances of survival down the road.
If you’ve been regularly irrigating your lawn, continue doing so. The grass is now conditioned to receiving this water, so ceasing the flow may hurt its chances of survival. Keep in mind that it’s important to water infrequently but deeply. Water every three days or so.
Keep Fertilizer in the Bag
While your lawn is dormant, there is no need to fertilize. If your grass is brown and crunchy, fertilizer that is designed to enhance shoot growth is unnecessary. Save your fertilizing for times of growth.
Keep Traffic to a Minimum
If your lawn is dormant, it may be stressed. Heavy traffic on the grass at this time can severely damage it. To ensure your lawn recovers from dormancy, avoid heavy use during the dormant period. While this may not be possible in all areas, keeping traffic to a minimum will help.
Keep It Clear
In addition to minimizing the amount of traffic on your lawn, remove all items that may have been left on the grass. Once you winterize your sprinkler system in Burlington County, NJ and mow your lawn for the last time, the lawn should be clear for the winter. Ensure no pet toys, sporting equipment, leaves or other objects remain on dormant grass. This can damage the turf and create a bare spot in the spring.
Need Additional Tips?
If you have additional questions for your sprinkler system contractor in Burlington County, NJ, don’t hesitate to contact the experts at Star Sprinkler Systems Inc. Our trained technicians are available to assist you with dormancy issues and tips for how to winterize your sprinkler system in Burlington County, NJ.