Lawn Tips for the Rainy Season

The Ohio River Valley sits on a transition zone between cooler northern air and warmer southern air, which produces strong fronts - and rainy seasons that wreak havoc on lawns and outdoor living spaces. Here are four rules for your lawn when the rain will not quit.

1. Stay off wet grass

Avoid walking on wet or damp grass, as it is easily damaged. If the lawn has been waterlogged for several days, wait until the water has completely subsided and you can walk on it without leaving wet footprints. When you do mow, set the blades to the highest cutting height - and never mow a wet or saturated lawn, since you risk compaction and ruts. Obviously, never use an electric mower in damp or wet conditions.

2. Clean up after flooding carefully

Silt left behind by floodwater can be contaminated, so wear rubber boots and gloves before working outside. Hose or rake the silt and debris off the lawn. If the lawn was submerged for over a week, or sits under more than half an inch of silt, it may need to be re-laid - but major lawn repairs should wait until early spring.

3. Aerate

A lawn that has been very wet will benefit from serious aeration, either manually with a garden fork or with a powered aerator. Moss is likely to build up in damp conditions, but scarifying, top-dressing, and re-seeding bald patches should all wait until spring.

4. Fix the trouble spots

Take note of where heavy rain collects and the lawn stays waterlogged, and consider preventative action - evening out the ground levels or improving drainage. That is exactly the kind of grading and drainage work we design into every project.