Fall is the right season for home owners to help lawns and landscape recover from drought, according to the Professional Landcare Network, a national association of lawn and landscape professionals.

“The fall season is the best time to assess the landscape, your watering strategy, and make any necessary adjustments to safeguard against drought and make the most of the cooler weather and additional moisture that comes along with the fall season,” said PLANET President Norman Goldenberg. 

He suggests these four tips to help your lawn and plants cope with drought:

Consider low-water use plants or hydrozoning. Cut your water usage by replacing current landscape with drought-proof plants. Try hydrozoning where you cluster plants together with similar water requirements to conserve water.

Audit and add water-saving tools. An irrigation system audit tells you whether your system needs repairs or adjustments and checks for water distribution uniformity. Land care professionals are often less busy in the fall, so they may charge less for irrigation system audits. 

Give grass some TLC. With cooler weather and more moisture in the fall, growth and green color will return to turf grass. Use cooler weather to aerate the lawn by removing small soil plugs. Aeration allows the roots to go deeper into the soil, more absorption of rainfall or irrigation, and the plants to better draw in water, nutrients, and oxygen. 

Revisit your watering plan. Water early in the morning when temperatures are cooler and avoid watering on windy days to minimize evaporation. 
 
Source: Professional Landcare Network