When mid-summer temps hits 90+ degrees, you may notice brown or golden spots appear in your lawn. Before you panic and crank up the sprinkler system, it’s important to remember that a little gold is normal.
During periods of intense heat, lawns naturally go through stress and may show signs of dormancy. These golden patches don’t necessarily mean your lawn is unhealthy or dying. In fact, allowing your lawn to weather the heat with smart watering and smart lawn care practices is often better than trying to keep every blade perfectly green.
A few brown spots in your lawn are natural in our semi-arid climate. Resist the urge to overwater and instead use these four strategies to build and sustain the long-term health of your lawn.
A few brown spots in your lawn are natural in our semi-arid climate. Resist the urge to overwater and instead use these four strategies to build and sustain the long-term health of your lawn.
1. Water consistently. As temperatures rise, it might seem like your lawn needs more water, but it can only use so much. Overwatering won’t make it healthier, but it will show up on your bill.
Under the Water Wise Rules, you can water up to three days per week. Even if your lawn looks a little stressed during extreme heat, three days is typically enough to support the long-term health of grass and plants in our region. Watering before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m.—one of the Water Wise Rules—allows more water to soak into the soil instead of evaporating. Check out the Water Wise Lawn Watering Schedule for more insights, including the right way to cycle and soak to encourage deeper root growth.
2. Do a sprinkler check. Take a few minutes to check your sprinkler system. Turn it on and make sure everything is working the way it should. Brown spots are often caused by simple issues like a clogged sprinkler nozzle, a leak, something blocking the spray or a sprinkler head that’s turned the wrong way. Fixing these small problems can make a big difference and help your lawn look better without using more water.
3. Hand water stubborn dry spots. If you’ve tried the steps above and still notice a few dry or stressed areas, give those spots a little extra attention by hand. A hose with a watering wand and shutoff nozzle works well for this. As long as you’re using a shutoff nozzle, you can hand water as needed within the Water Wise Rules.
Spot watering is a smarter approach than increasing the run time for your entire system. It uses less water, supports the areas that need it most and helps keep your water use in check.
4. Update pop-up sprinklers with high efficiency nozzles. If your sprinkler system isn’t very efficient, you’ll likely notice it during the peak of summer. Brown spots, water runoff and thin grass can all point to a system that could use an upgrade.
Switching to high-efficiency sprinkler nozzles is a simple upgrade that can provide more uniform coverage and help water to soak in, instead of running off. Better system performance means getting water to your lawn’s roots without increasing the amount you use. Our nozzle replacement program can help.
By watering within the Water Wise Rules, checking your irrigation system and making targeted improvements, you can help your landscape stay healthy while making smart use of one of our community’s most valuable resources.
Remember, a little gold is natural and usually temporary. Keep your focus on the long-term health of your lawn, your landscape and your water bill.