Repairing Drought Damage in Your Lawn

If your lawn endured drought conditions this summer, now is the time to repair the damage so it can survive winter. Here are five ways to help your lawn recover from drought damage.

Dethatch

A drought-damaged lawn needs moisture to recover, and dethatching makes it easier for the soil to absorb water. Removing accumulated dead grass, leaves, and twigs helps water to reach the root zone more efficiently. You can use a sturdy rake to dethatch your lawn by hand. 

Aerate

Likewise, aeration improves soil moisture by supporting water infiltration. You can rent a power or manual aerator for the job. 

Minimize Traffic

Foot traffic can break brittle grass blades and further compact dry soil. As hard as reducing traffic on your lawn may be, doing so will allow it to recover better from drought. 

Reseed

For larger damaged areas, you may need to reseed. It’s best to dethatch before reseeding to ensure proper seed-to-soil contact and germination.

Fertilize

Fertilization is another helpful practice for drought recovery. Be sure to wait to fertilize until drought conditions have been absent for at least two weeks, and use a fertilizer with a balanced nutrient ratio to help repair drought damage.