Because of increased incidences of mandatory watering restrictions during extended periods of dry weather, management practices that will help enhance persistence of grass during times of drought should be considered. Objective of drought conditioning To condition a lawn successfully, the objective of the program must be clearly understood. The primary objective is to grow a good quality lawn that will survive on little or no supplemental irrigation. A prepared lawn can withstand more stress than a lawn that is not conditioned. A properly prepared lawn will have a deep and extensive root system that is better able to seek out water.
Proper irrigation is the first step in conditioning a lawn for drought.
Many people tend to rely on their automatic sprinkler systems to apply small amounts of water several times weekly to their lawn, regardless of any rainfall received. This practice is detrimental to the grass and actually promotes a lawn that requires more water and one that cannot withstand drought stress. Less frequent, longer irrigations will assist in establishing a deeper, more viable root system. To develop a deep root system, lawns should only be watered when the first signs of wilt occur. Apply only enough water to wet the soil in the rootzone.