Changing the grass: when a drought-tolerant lawn is the answer
Who this is for
933 counties land here: a real drought comes around every few years, not every year. A lawn can stay, but it should be one that survives a dry season without daily watering. Examples: Autauga County, AL (3.5 in 10), Baldwin County, AL (3.5 in 10) and Cherokee County, AL (3.5 in 10).
Grass types by climate
In the warm South and Southwest, warm-season grasses such as bermuda, zoysia and buffalograss hold up best; buffalograss, native to the Great Plains, needs the least water once established. In cooler northern areas, tall fescue roots deeper than Kentucky bluegrass and stays green longer into a dry spell; fine fescues suit shade. Your state extension service publishes the varieties tested for your area, and is the better guide than any seed bag.
Timing the reseed
Seed cool-season grass in early fall and warm-season grass in late spring. Either way, the new lawn needs regular water for its first weeks, so pick a start well clear of the month drought usually arrives. Every county page shows that month.
Water deep, not often
Watering deeply once or twice a week grows deeper roots than a short daily sprinkle. A lawn trained that way rides out the next dry spell better. Beds and shrubs belong on drip, not spray heads.
Related
If drought is near-constant where you are, see shrinking the lawn. If it is rare, keeping a regular lawn explains what is still worth doing.