Protecting your lawn and plants from the drought

INVER GROVE HEIGHTS, Minn. (FOX 9) - With the lack of rain, it's shaping up to be a stressful summer for plants.

There are products homeowners can put on their lawns and in their flower baskets that help them retain moisture, but mostly, it's about knowing when and how much to water them.

"The heat is also really hard on lawns. We are also seeing it in the perennials and shrubs that are coming back this year," said Meagan Hulstein, a lawn and garden department manager at Gertens in Inver Grove Heights.

Customers are coming into Gertens and asking, ‘How often should I water?’

"We're recommending more frequently. You're going to want to water in the mornings and the evenings, so that you're not watering in the in the heat of the day, so you don't lose that moisture," Hulstein said.

She said some plants handle dry conditions better than others, including plants native to Minnesota and succulents.

"I think it's just important just to keep an eye on the plants," said Jon Trappe, a turfgrass extension educator with the University of Minnesota.

Trappe said after prolonged periods without any rain, gardeners may start to notice signs of drought stress in their gardens.

"(The plants) may be green, but they might look a little bit off-color or they might start drooping or sagging down. At that point, that's an early symptom that would be a great time to begin watering," he said.

Crews at Gertens said they’re working harder to keep their plants in good condition.

"(Crews) are watering a lot more. I know the annuals crew waters in the morning and in the afternoon. (Outside) they run the sprinklers, and then hoses get run every once in a while too, if needed," Hulstein said.

That's especially important on days where temperatures are in the high 80s and 90s.

Trappe recommends watering a lawn more deeply but less often. He said most lawns in Minnesota can tolerate several weeks of drought, so it’s OK to let the yard get brown.

"Allowing it to go dormant is a way to extend into wait until the next natural rain system that we have and then eventually your lawn will recover and it'll be just fine going into the less stressful time periods of the fall," he said.

Homeowners with irrigation systems should check that the water is going where it needs to go, instead of the driveway or the street, for example.