How to Grow Grass in Drought Conditions

Starting the Lawn

• 1

  Prepare your soil before planting to maximize the soil's ability to retain and absorb water. Using a tiller, mix sphagnum moss (30 lbs per 1,000 square feet) and starter fertilizer (40 lbs per 1,000 square feet) into the soil at a depth of 1 foot. Sphagnum moss is a water-retaining plant that will help the soil hold on to every drop of water. Starter fertilizer ensures that the grass has everything it needs to grow healthy roots during germination. Healthy roots equal lush grass.

• 2

  Place your hybrid Bermuda grass seed into the seed disperser and broadcast the seed at the manufacturer's recommended rate.

• 3

  Rake over the entire seeded area to help the seeds become slightly buried in the soil.

• 4

  Irrigate your grass seed at the right time of day. While the seeds are germinating, you'll need to keep the ground moist. This will require irrigation for 10 minutes every three hours. Once the grass emerges, back off the watering to twice each day. Water at sunset and shortly after sunrise. This ensures the grass receives ample water to continue its growth, but that the water will not be lost to evaporation. After the grass is established, water every other day for 30 minutes at sunset if you live in a dry climate or sunrise if you live in a humid climate.

Grass Care During Drought

• 5

  Mow the grass to a height no lower than 2.53 inches. According to the Ohio State University County Extension Office, this height ensures a deeper root system and better shading for the soil, which ensures better water absorption and less water evaporation.

  For even better moisture retention, leave the grass clippings on the lawn. The clippings act as a natural mulch and eventually will decompose into rich soil nutrients.

• 6

  Fertilize your lawn once in the spring-summer growing period and only with up to 1.5 pounds of nitrogen per 1000 square feet of yard. Over-fertilization stimulates excessive top growth. When the top is growing at a fast rate, the roots are neglected. This leads to less efficient water absorption and a drier-looking lawn.

• 7

  Let your lawn become dormant if watering is restricted. If you cannot water your lawn every five days due to water shortages, then the best option is to let it go dormant. A dormant lawn will survive on 1/2 inch of water every three weeks. Anything less will result in death of the grass.