What's your secret in beating drought stress?

seiyafan · Post by **seiyafan** » July 17th, 2016, 7:04 pm

As a New Yorker I've always wondered how y'all southerner keep your grass free from drought stress? I keep my HOC above 3 inches and it still frequently gets stressed (turning purple) when the temperature goes above 90 degrees. It bothers my mind to see many Bermuda growers here mow their lawn at half an inch and it just thrives in 100+ degrees, is it because of the grass or do you guys water multiple times a day?

Michael Wise · Post by **Michael Wise** » July 17th, 2016, 7:23 pm

It's more the type of grass than anything.

It doesn't perform well that low BECAUSE we cut that low. We cut that low because that's where it performs well.

Same reason you cut your cool season grass that high. Because that's where it performs the best.

That's like some Jedi $#i! right there.

Michael Wise · Post by **Michael Wise** » July 17th, 2016, 7:29 pm

Why does your grass stay green during 60° weather, but our bermuda starts losing color?

Why do the extreme lows of some northern states completely kill some bermuda that cool season grasses easily survive?

Nixnix42 · Post by **Nixnix42** » July 17th, 2016, 7:39 pm

ImageUploadedByYard Help1468798744.956602.jpg

Sent from my iOS device using the Yard Help App

seiyafan · Post by **seiyafan** » July 17th, 2016, 7:49 pm

We cut high so that the blades can protect the roots from being cooked by the sun, I thought this is true for all grass. Guess not then.

J_nick · Post by **J_nick** » July 17th, 2016, 7:55 pm

Our grass hails from Afirca, bring on the heat!!

Plus Bermuda at 1/2" just grows sideways and gets denser.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Tony alony · Post by **Tony alony** » July 17th, 2016, 8:49 pm

Hand watering, plain and simple. Take the time to put down enough water by hand until you think the lawn has had enough. I think turf managers use this trick, more often than syringing.

Michael Wise · Post by **Michael Wise** » July 17th, 2016, 9:13 pm

seiyafan wrote:We cut high so that the blades can protect the roots from being cooked by the sun, I thought this is true for all grass. Guess not then.

No, you cut that tall because that is where your grass grows the densest.

Bermuda cut tall grows thin and leggy.

It's just the nature of the grass and we try to accommodate it's needs.

Michael Wise · Post by **Michael Wise** » July 17th, 2016, 9:14 pm

J_nick wrote:Our grass hails from Afirca, bring on the heat!!

Plus Bermuda at 1/2" just grows sideways and gets denser.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Exactly.

Michael Wise · Post by **Michael Wise** » July 17th, 2016, 9:15 pm

Tony alony wrote:Hand watering, plain and simple. Take the time to put down enough water by hand until you think the lawn has had enough. I think turf managers use this trick, more often than syringing.

Genetics beats syringing every day during the summer.

Tony alony · Post by **Tony alony** » July 17th, 2016, 9:22 pm

Here's a quick two paragraph read, which by no means explains the art of turf management as it applies to watering. https://books.google.com/books?id=r2jrB ... QQ6AEIHDAC

Do your own research to find more about the subject.

Southernguy311 · Post by **Southernguy311** » July 17th, 2016, 9:22 pm

Deep/infrequent watering and cultural practices which encourage root expansion like aeration are huge imo. I cut my turf just over half inch and only water every 4 days or so. I do have a spot or two I hand water when it gets up near 100, but they are very small.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Redtenchu · Post by **Redtenchu** » July 17th, 2016, 9:29 pm

Tony alony wrote:Do your own research to find more about the subject.

No need to be rude Tony, it's a good topic.

Tony alony · Post by **Tony alony** » July 17th, 2016, 9:32 pm

Deep & infrequent watering is an axiom, which of course, is open to one's personal experiences.

Red, I wasn't trying to be rude. Just voicing my opinion.

Michael Wise · Post by **Michael Wise** » July 17th, 2016, 9:33 pm

Tony, you are missing the point.

You grow a cool season grass in the south, and I'll grow a warm season grass. You water how you want and I'll water how I want.

Chances are stacked in my favor to win. Genetics beats syringing.

People want to know the secret to keeping a lawn alive in the south? It starts with picking a warm season grass that is adapted to the climate.

It would be like asking why my 1/2" tall bermuda can't survive a Duluth Minnesota winter without a lot of winter kill?

You can mow and water how ever you want, but if you don't have the right grass for the climate, it's an uphill fight.

Michael Wise · Post by **Michael Wise** » July 17th, 2016, 9:34 pm

The secret is picking a grass that is adapted to your climate.

Bermuda is adapted to our climate and just so happens to perform at its best when cut low.

Tony alony · Post by **Tony alony** » July 17th, 2016, 9:43 pm

With all due respect, Michel Wise, the original poster has the cool season grass. I have warm season grass.
The original poster asked how he can beat drought stress in his northern climate, and how we do it in the South. I merely offered a thought on how to keep grass alive during drought like conditions. It would be out of place for me to advise a cool season lawn owner how to choose a grass in his climate.

Michael Wise · Post by **Michael Wise** » July 17th, 2016, 10:08 pm

Tony alony wrote:With all due respect, Michel Wise, the original poster has the cool season grass. I have warm season grass.
The original poster asked how he can beat drought stress in his northern climate, and how we do it in the South. I merely offered a thought on how to keep grass alive during drought like conditions. It would be out of place for me to advise a cool season lawn owner how to choose a grass in his climate.

I thought he asked:

seiyafan wrote:.......how y'all southerner keep your grass free from drought stress?...........is it because of the grass or do you guys water multiple times a day?

I never saw where he asked a question about his grass.

He was confused on different grass species mowing heights relation to drought stress. Hopefully that issue is clarified.

OUR secret is picking the right grass. I can go all season without syringing and I'll still have good looking grass. With proper cultural practices of course. I can even skimp pretty heavy on proper cultural practice, not syringe, and still have a pretty nice lawn.

Our "secret" is exactly as he stated in his final question. We have the right grass for a hot climate.

Now if we are talking tips and tricks for growing cool season grasses in hot weather, that is a whole different ball game and it would be foolish to start applying bermuda cultural practices on cool season lawns.

seiyafan · Post by **seiyafan** » July 17th, 2016, 10:26 pm

I understand what all of you are saying. Here in NY the temperature swing can go from 95+ in summer to -15 in winter. Yes the cool season grass can survive -15F but chances are they are covered with feet of snow. And yet summer is the time for them to be seen but they aren't genetically made to thrive in 90+ degree days. That's life, right?

Okay I am a big idiot, I probably had too much tonight.

Tony alony · Post by **Tony alony** » July 17th, 2016, 10:27 pm

Michael Wise, I fully understood the question posed by the original poster. I did not, however think that it was a strictly rhetorical question. I thought he was asking for advice on how to keep His grass alive in hot temperatures, and how we do it in the south. Otherwise, why did he post the question?
Maybe the original poster should clarify his intent for the (question) ?? For me, it suggested that he may want to know how to keep his grass alive. I don't know. I merely offered a suggestion to what some people do. You said you don't have to syringe on your lawn because you picked the right grass for your climate. How does that help the original poster, who has a northern lawn that may not be suited to his current environment, but still wishes to keep his lawn alive?
Obviously, I missed the point. My bad. OK?

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