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Caring for a Newly Seeded Lawn During Drought Restrictions: Watering, Mowing, and Weed Control

When a drought emergency is declared right after seeding, you face a dilemma: water to establish grass or conserve water. Here’s a balanced approach.

Watering Until Restrictions Begin

Keep the seedbed constantly moist with frequent, light watering until germination.
After germination, reduce frequency but increase duration to encourage deep roots.
After 6–8 weeks, transition to deep, infrequent watering (1 inch per week, soaking 4–6 inches deep).
Water early morning or early evening to minimize evaporation.

If Restrictions Are Imposed

Cool-season grasses go dormant in heat. Stop watering; the lawn will turn brown but survive. Apply a winterizer fertilizer in November for spring recovery.

Mowing Guidelines

Height: 2.5–3 inches for cool-season grasses.
Frequency: remove no more than 1/3 of blade per mowing.
Leave clippings on lawn (recycles nutrients, no thatch if mowing regularly).
Sharpen blades every 4th mowing.

Fertilization

Use nitrogen responsibly. Avoid excess in spring/summer. Balanced fertilizers with phosphorus, potassium, iron, and sulfur prevent deficiencies.

Planter Box Weed Prevention

Line bottom with weed barrier fabric.
Add 2 inches of chunky mulch (bark nuggets) on top.
For planting, pull back mulch, cut an “X” in fabric, plant, and replace mulch to 1 inch from stem.
Use Preen (pre-emergent) in established beds: Preen Info.