If you've noticed your lawn turning a little dull or showing signs of stress lately, your first instinct may be to water more.
However, the best way to build a healthier, more drought-resilient lawn is often to water less frequently.
Many Utah lawns are actually overwatered. Frequent, shallow watering keeps moisture near the soil surface and encourages shallow roots.
That means grass becomes dependent on more frequent irrigation and struggles when water supplies become limited.
Instead, try watering more deeply and extending the time between irrigation events. This encourages roots to grow deeper into the soil, where they can access stored moisture and better withstand hot, dry conditions.
Think of it as training your lawn to become more self-sufficient.
It's also important to understand that a little stress isn't necessarily a bad thing. Slight wilting or a bluish gray color can be early signs that the grass is using available soil moisture.
These temporary symptoms can actually help promote deeper rooting when managed appropriately during drought.
The goal should shift from maintaining a perfectly green lawn to maintaining a healthy, functional landscape.
You may even choose to let your lawn go dormant and turn straw-colored or brown, because that doesn't mean it's dead. The cool-season grasses growing in most Utah lawns recover when cooler conditions return.
You can also improve drought resilience by mowing higher, watering during low wind periods, and building healthy soils through practices like leaving grass clippings on the lawn.
Information on these and other topics may be found at extension.usu.edu.
This is Kelly Kopp, USU Extension water conservation and turf grass specialist, wishing you a happy summer and healthy turf.
