The climate changes brought during the past few years extreme weather. The whole world suffered from intense winter less but the days of summer increased in number as well in magnitude. This damaged the lawns all over the globe, but one good thing is that the sod grass is manufactured in such a way that it can survive the drought well.
Nourish the Tall Fescue sod in Atlanta to Flourish
All types of sod grass have excellent tolerance to the drought season. But if you have Tall Fescue sod in Atlanta; which is the least tolerant to the extremely hot weather; can be taken care of. It is important to nourish the sod with plenty of water to make it flourish. When it is installed every day watering is necessary and this practice should continue throughout the summer season.
Looking out for the Soil
The soil must be in a very good condition if you want your grass to thrive during the drought. You need to develop a deep root system so that the sod grass can take the nutrients from the soil. These are ways to prepare the soil for the dormant period which will be discussed in detail.
Grow Grass Resistant to Drought
It has been suggested that you can go for other sod grass options that can resist the extreme summer days. There are many other varieties of sod that can be installed instead of this type. These kinds of sod you can find in sod farms in Georgia;Centipede, Emerald Zoysia, Palmetto St. Augustine, Tifway 419 Bermuda and Zeon Zoysia.
Cultivate Other Plants
There are many plants and other, shrubs and bushes that can easily live in the drought as well. If you don’t want to install sod grass in the lawn; there is a method called Xeriscaping to make your lawn. These plants can thrive in the ultimate hot weather when there is a very limited amount of water.
In the Drought Period
Homeowners are of the basic view that the sod grass needs the same caring in the hot weather as recommended by the company they bought the sod from like Atlanta Sod Farms; as in normal days. But here they are wrong and this damages the grass to the extent that it can’t be repaired and they have to reinstall a new sod. So when it is the drought season you have to do the following 5 things.
De-Thatch the Lawn
Thatch is a layer of soil which consists of living and dead materials. A good half-inch of thatch is very beneficial for the lawn but if the width increases then it can become a problem. So in order to keep it the width required; you have to de-thatch it to allow the water and air to reach the stems properly.
Aeration is very important
In the drought season, the ground gets very less water; so this makes the soil hard and whatever little water and nutrients are under the ground don’t reach the roots, stems and the leaves. Aeration is a process which makes holes in the ground so that air can penetrate to allow the soil to moisten.
Mow the Grass
Although the grass doesn’t grow in the dormant seasons; but the mowing the grass is necessary because it allows the grass to grow when the growing season arrives. But make sure the blades of the mower are sharp and you don’t remove more than one-third of the blades.
Leave the Grass Clippings
After mowing the clippings of the grass must be left on the ground. The leaves have a small amount of water inside it that can help to provide extra moisture during the hot weather. In order to properly add the moisture; the leaves clippings must be spread evenly on the ground.
Avoid Going on the Lawn
If you want your sod grass to go through the extremely hot weather nicely; then you have to restrict the foot traffic to the minimal. Or if possible don’t allow people and pets to go on the sod grass. The walking and running on the grass can make the grass compact and air can’t go deeper.
Post-Drought Care
If you think that the sod grass needs no or very less care after the dormant season; then you have been misguided. The grass recovers very slowly during the initial days of the growing season. Just think as if your sod has been installed now and you are taking care of it. You can boost the speed of growth by these three tips.
Extensive Watering
After ending of the dormant season; the sod must be watered on a daily basis. The water must go 3 to 4 inches deep and sometimes supplementary watering is needed if the sod is drier than usual. When the length of the leaves reaches the desired height; you can change it to weekly.
Use Fertilizers
Fertilizer must be provided every 45 days during the months of growth. Then shift it to two times in a year or as per the demand of the soil.
Eliminate the threat of Weeds
It is most unlikely that weeds develop in the dormant season of Tall Fescue sod in Atlanta. But as the sod starts to grow; the threat of weeds is inevitable. Keep a constant check on the lawn and use different herbicides if necessary.