During periods of drought, leaf tissue may die and drop from the plant, although the grasses will generally recuperate upon receiving adequate irrigation. In light of increased mandatory watering restrictions in Florida consider management practices that will help enhance the drought-tolerance of your grass. The primary objective of drought conditioning is to grow a good quality lawn that will survive on little or no supplemental irrigation. A drought conditioned 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 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 actually detrimental to the grass because it promotes a lawn that requires more water and one that cannot withstand tough stress. Less frequent, longer irrigations will assist in establishing a deeper, more viable root system. To develop a deep root system, water your lawn when the first signs of wilt occur. Apply only enough water to wet the soil in the rootzone.