Skip to main content
Clear icon
21º

The Grass Isn’t Always Greener: Tips for keeping lawns healthy during a drought

Much of Southwest Virginia is currently facing a drought

ROANOKE, Va. – Some people think the grass is greener on the other side, but lately, no matter where you turn, it seems like the grass is...well, dead.

“It’s not growing in the rate that it would normally grow during the rainy season,” Co-Owner of Fresh Cuts Lawn Care Robbie Jones said.

A drought isn’t too typical this time of year and their company is dependent on the weather. But Jones isn’t on high alert quite yet.

“Not hardly just yet, but it’s coming if we don’t get any more rain,” Jones said.

With the grass mostly dead, Jones has to work with his clients to change up their typical care.

“Our weekly customers, we move them to an every two weeks schedule because grass still grows, but there are more weeds that grow in that grass,” he said.

Jones and his crew were on their way to take care of one of those clients, so I tagged along.

But he also gave 10 News some tips for you to keep your lawn healthy.

First, don’t over-cut your grass right now.

“Cut your grass from anywhere to three and a half to four inches. That helps with the overall health of the lawn,” Jones said.

Second, believe it or not, there actually is an optimal time to water your grass. If you do it in the middle of the day with the sun beating down, it could do more harm than good.

“We do recommend you water when the sun is down, or really really early in the morning in terms of getting your lawn to look healthier,” he said. “What happens is when the water you put on your grass, the droplets lay on the blades of the grass and what happens is over the sun the water turns hot and it boils on that leaf - and in return, it will damage the growth of that grass.”

Last but maybe the most important, stay off of the grass.

“Stay off the lawn as much as possible, so when we do get rain, the grass will grow back to healthier.”


Loading...
About the Author
Abbie Coleman headshot

Abbie Coleman officially joined the WSLS 10 News team in January 2023.