YardScaping During a Drought

Maine experienced a severe drought during peak growing season in 2025. Here are some helpful tips for yard and garden mainetenance when your region is experiencing drought conditions.

For lawns:

• Allow the grass to go dormant (change from green to brown). If the grass feels fleshy but is brown in color, it will come back with cooler and wetter weather.

• Lightly water grass (about 1/2”) every two weeks to keep moisture in the soil without breaking the dormancy.

• Keep grass tall to shade out the soil and help keep moisture. Don’t mow during a drought, it will stress out and damage your lawn.

• Don’t fertilizer or apply compost tea, this will break the dormancy too early!

• Healthy lawns can survive in a dormant state for four to six weeks without rainfall or irrigation.

For gardens:

• Water deeply (1”) once a week in the early morning.

• Increase weeding to reduce water competition with desired plants.

• Don’t fertilize or apply compost tea.

• Dead head flowering plants early to prevent it from using valuable energy and water forming seeds.