Lawn Tips for Drought
We’ve noticed some seriously dry conditions lately around Orange Park, the Lakeside area and Middleburg, FL. In fact, all of Clay County is currently (4/21/2026) under a burn ban and according to Drought.gov, this is the 6th driest year-to-date in the past 132 years. In addition to the typical dusty conditions for this time of year, we’ve seen some of our lawns showing severe signs of drought-stress. For some very low maintenance lawns that are mostly weeds and Bahia grass, this isn’t too big of a deal as things will green up again once we get some rain. For nicer lawns, especially St. Augustine grass lawns this level of drought can result in permanent damage if not addressed quickly. We’ve seen entire lawns be lost during similar conditions in the past.
If you’re interested in monitoring drought conditions throughout the year so those dry conditions don’t sneak up on you, you might consider regularly viewing the Keetch-Bryam drought index map for Florida. It’s measure of the moisture deficit in the soil on a scale of 0 to 800 with 0 meaning the soil is completely saturated 800 indicating the soil is completely dry. You can view a map for Florida that is updated daily at https://weather.fdacs.gov/KBDI/kbdi_index.html.
Signs Your Lawn is in Trouble
The following are the tell-tale symptoms that a lawn will exhibit when it is experiencing drought related stress. If you see any of these it is time to turn on those sprinklers before the lawn begins to turn brown and go dormant or potentially die if the drought persists.
- Leaf blades folding lengthwise like a straw
- Grass blades look thin and desiccated
- Blue-Grey tint instead of vibrant green
- Footprints or mower tracks stay visible for an extended time
Preventing Damage from Drought
The key to preventing drought stress in the lawn is practicing proper irrigation strategies. The first thing you’ll want to do is make sure you are getting even coverage from the sprinkler system. The easiest way to do this is with the so called tuna-can test. Put tuna cans or coffee cans or something similar in various spots around the lawn and start the sprinklers. The idea is to make sure each can collects the same height of water. If some areas are getting less water than others, have the sprinklers adjusted accordingly. With the sprinkler system correctly adjusted, aim for 0.50 to 0.75 inches per watering session and between 1 and 2 inches total per week including rain. It’s better to water less frequently and for longer duration than frequent short waterings. The goal is to water deeply to promote deeper roots, making your lawn more resilient during times of drought. The best time to water is before the sun comes up to avoid wasting water to evaporation. And always be on the lookout for signs that the lawn needs additional water.
