Dry Patches in Your Lawn
Hot and dry weather can really take a toll on even the healthiest lawns and cause them to become thin and patchy. This usually happens over the summer months, as the weather is hot and dry and lawn owners are generally on holidays or too busy to keep up their regular lawn maintenance schedule. It only takes a couple of days of hot, dry weather to affect your lawn.
What do dry patches look like?
Usually what you will see is bare patches throughout the lawn or your lawn would’ve started to thin out and change colour. What follows this, is those bare patches bake in the sun and become rock hard making it difficult for water and nutrients to get into the soil. This is commonly known as dry patch and appears regularly in lawns throughout the summer. Thankfully it is treatable and is relatively easy to fix.
How to treat dry patches
Aerate
First things first, it is always recommended you aerate the affected area of your lawn. Aeration can be done with a garden fork, core aerator, or a motorised aerator depending on the size of the lawn. This is crucial as it will de-compact your soil and will help nutrients and water penetrate your lawn.
Apply Wetting Agent
Next, apply a wetting agent like Knights Wetta to the affected area. Knights Wetta will assist with water absorbing into your soil. This will also allow the soil to hold water in a usable manner for longer. Always remember to irrigate your lawn well after applying the wetting agent.
Fertilise
After this, it is time to stimulate your lawns growth to allow it to self-repair and cover back over. This is best done by applying an NPK fertiliser to the entire lawn and irrigating the lawn well afterwards. A fertiliser designed for WA soils like our Knights Coastal Special Mix, Lawn Solutions Premium Fertiliser or Exceed Liquid Fertiliser are ideal options. Always remember to apply all products at label rates and follow all instructions.
Dry Patch Prevention Methods
There are some steps that you can take to reduce the suffering….
Choose a drought tolerant turf variety such as TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda
Carry out good soil improvement practices prior to installing a new lawn
Water your lawn correctly, less frequent, deeper soakings to encourage deep roots.
If possible, give your lawn one deep soaking at the first sign of any heat and drought, then leave it until it starts to wilt, repeating the process as necessary. This will be more frequent in sandy WA soils.
Increase mowing height - slightly longer lawns shade the soil, reducing evaporation & stress.
