Watch CBS News

Dry Lawn? Here's What To Do

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- It also shows that the northern part of the Twin Cities metro is affected.

And these dry conditions have been brutal when it comes to trying to keep your lawn green.

Jim Solem tried to fight it, but the brown patches in his lawn won't go away.

"It's been very difficult to keep it green, even though we have a sprinkler system that goes on three times a week," Solem said. "The sun dries it out in a big hurry."

Solem has held off on doing anything more than mowing, unsure of what he should do.

"I've been wondering about fertilization when it's this dry, and how much and when," Solem said.

Holding off may be the smart decision. Horticulturist Eric Watkins with the University of Minnesota says if your lawn is stressed, wait to fertilize and wait to aerate.

"What you should do right now is really water your lawn," Watkins said.

He says that until we get more moisture, we could do more harm than good.

"Anything you do in the fall to diminish the quality of your turf is going to show up in the spring," Watkins said.

If you are thinking about reseeding your lawn, Watkins says do it now.

"This is a really good time to go and reseed some of those areas damaged by heat stress or disease," Watkins said.

Also, Watkins says lay off the mowing until we get rain. If you do need to mow, make sure you raise the height of the cut and leave the grass longer.

Watkins also recommends using a slow release fertilizer instead of a quick release one.

If you are interested in finding out more, click here.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.