What To Do During A Drought
We have been experiencing a drought in the Waterloo Region as of late and our lawns are showing the signs! Unless you have an irrigation system installed, your grass and plants might be looking a little worse for wear.
Early Signs of Drought
One of the more obvious telltale signs of hard ground, brown grass, and dying plants is a solid indicator that we are experiencing drought conditions. But you may be able to proactively protect your grass, plants, and trees to help them become drought-resistant.
Have a look at the leaves on the trees of your yard. Suppose you notice them curling towards the middle of the leaf. This is an early indicator of drought conditions and your plants, lawn, and garden could benefit from a good watering (following the Region of Waterloo watering guidelines, of course)!
If it is early enough in the season, the foliage may drop off. If you introduce water fast enough, the tree and plants may re-generate their leaves. The faster you introduce water to the root systems, the better the chance that the tree will return to full strength.
When you start to see the signs of curling leaves, we recommend watering your trees in a four-foot (4’) diameter around the tree as this is where most of the root system lies (at least 12 inches down). Give them a good drink!
Consider Aerating your Lawn in the Summer
Another way to curb the impacts of the lack of rain is to aerate your lawn. Most residents aerate in the springtime, but the summer is a great time too! Mechanical aeration opens the hard-packed ground up to allow moisture to better penetrate the soil and get to the roots of the grass. This will help your lawn recuperate much faster. Otherwise, the rain will have difficulty penetrating the compacted soil and will end up running off into the storm drains.
Break up your mulch in your garden
Loosen up the mulch around the drip line (the edge of your plant) with a fork or a cultivator. Work up the mulch or soil down about 1.5 to 2 inches, so as not to disturb the root system. Check the depth of the mulch with your fingers, you should be able to dip down to your knuckle. Give the garden a good drink of water and the work you’ve done will help get the water right to the root system.
Feel free to give us a call to discuss our lawn maintenance programs which help your property maintain peak drought-resistant performance.
