How to Care for Your Lawn During Heat and Drought – Keep Your Grass Green in Hot Weather

Is your lawn turning brown and dry in summer? Heat, drought, sun, and wind can quickly damage your lawn. But with the right lawn care during heat and drought, your grass can stay healthy and green – even during extreme weather.

In this article, you’ll learn the best tips to keep your lawn strong and green throughout the hot summer months.

1. Water Your Lawn Properly in Summer

Without water, your lawn cannot stay green. Especially in hot, dry periods, correct watering is essential for healthy grass. Here’s what to keep in mind when watering your lawn during summer:

Water Less Often, But Thoroughly

It’s better to water your lawn deeply but less frequently. Ideally, apply 15 to 20 liters of water per square meter, 2 to 3 times per week, depending on heat and soil conditions. Deep watering encourages roots to grow deeper, making your lawn more resistant to drought.

If you water too little, only the thatch or the very top layer of soil gets moist. The roots remain shallow, increasing the lawn’s heat stress. Deep roots help your grass survive heatwaves.

Best Time to Water: Early Morning

The ideal time to water your lawn is early morning between 3 AM and 6 AM. The cooler temperatures allow water to soak into the soil with minimal evaporation. Using an automatic irrigation system makes this easy.

If early morning watering is not possible, water your lawn as late as possible in the evening. Avoid watering during the day, as water evaporates quickly from the hot soil, wasting water and stressing the grass.

2. Mow Your Lawn Less Often and Keep It Higher

During extreme heat, mowing can harm your lawn. Grass blades stop growing when temperatures rise above 30°C (86°F) as they focus their energy on surviving the heat.

Freshly cut grass is also more sensitive to sun damage, and short grass exposes the soil to direct sunlight, increasing evaporation and heat stress.

Recommended mowing height: Set your mower to 5 to 7 centimeters or higher. Taller grass shades the soil, keeps moisture in the ground, and protects the lawn from burning.

Learn why cutting your lawn too short is the biggest mistake during summer: How short is too short – Lawn mowing mistakes

Important: Never mow at midday or in intense sunlight. Mow in the cooler morning or evening hours. Avoid mowing over already burnt patches to prevent further damage.

3. How to Save a Burnt Lawn

If your grass is already brown and dry, your lawn needs special care to recover from heat damage:

• Loosen the Soil:Use a garden fork to poke holes into the ground. This improves water penetration, allowing moisture to reach the grass roots more effectively.
• Water Generously:After loosening the soil, water your lawn deeply. Consistent watering is key to help your lawn recover from drought stress.
• Fertilize at the Right Time:Fertilizer can help burnt grass regenerate, but only apply after rainfall. Fertilizing during extreme heat can damage your lawn further.

4. Improve Your Lawn with Mulching

Mulching is not only useful in garden beds – it also benefits your lawn. Mulching helps retain soil moisture and provides essential nutrients for your grass.

Use a Mulching Mower: A mulching mower finely chops the grass clippings so they decompose quickly and enrich the soil.

Robotic Mowers: If your robotic mower cuts the lawn two to three times per week, the short clippings can remain on the lawn without harming the grass.

Caution with Regular Lawn Mowers: Traditional lawn mowers produce larger clippings that block sunlight and airflow, causing the grass to rot. Only mulch if the clippings are very fine.