Hot, dry summer leaves Austrian lawns needing patience

Lawns scorched by Austria’s hottest summer on record may recover when temperatures fall and watering becomes possible, but gardeners should be patient, ORF reported. Gardener Helmut Schieder said the brown grass was showing a stress reaction after a summer of extreme heat and drought.

At the Langenlois horticultural school in early September, dew was visible on the grass for the first time in weeks. Nights had been too hot for dew to form during the summer, Schieder said. After light rainfall the previous week, he said the benefits to the grass were immediately noticeable.

Grass turns brown during heat and drought because it enters a summer dormancy when it lacks water. Brown grass clumps may turn green again, but completely bare patches are unlikely to recover without reseeding. “Where there is nothing left, nothing will come,” Schieder said.

Water in the morning

The most urgent need is water. Schieder recommends watering in the morning, ideally between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m., so the grass can dry during the day while the moisture reaches the soil.

Watering in the evening leaves the blades wet for longer and can increase the risk of fungal disease. The worst time to water is in the midday heat under direct sunlight, although many people have difficulty finding another time because they are at work.

Schieder advises watering thoroughly once or twice a week instead of adding a small amount of water every day. Each watering should provide 10 to 15 litres per square metre.

To estimate the amount, gardeners can fill a 10-litre bucket and distribute it over one square metre. Counting how many seconds it takes to empty the bucket can help them judge how long to water.

Protect stressed grass

Several municipalities have recently urged residents to use outdoor water carefully. Schieder says drinking water supplies must take priority and recommends waiting until reserves have recovered before watering lawns. Using well water also draws on groundwater reserves, he said.

Brown, dried-out areas should not be used for playing, football, barbecues or gatherings. Mowing and fertilising are also currently unhelpful, Schieder said. The grass needs water and patience.

The lawn’s high water requirements have also led Schieder to question whether gardens need so much conventional grass. Some lawn areas could be converted into planting beds or perennial borders using mixtures that tolerate drought better.

He expects the lawn-seed industry to develop more heat-tolerant varieties. These may not have the classic green appearance, as some can have a silvery coating that acts as protection from the sun.