It's another beautiful summer morning here in Stillwater. Enjoying my cup of coffee walking barefoot on my still-green grass the weather reminds me of vacations in Door County or a summer morning in Ireland with temperatures in the mid-fifties.

But flip on the radio this morning and Sven the weatherman is talking about drought. Specifically the last 30 days here in the Twin Cities have been the driest since records began in the 1870's.

Those cooler temperatures we're getting so far mean many of us are still looking at green lawns, especially if you are irrigating appropriately. But it might be a good time to talk to your lawn care professional about any adjustments you need to make. One immediate thing you can do is to make sure you are watering deeper (more water) a little less frequently. Help your grasses grow their root systems now to stretch deeper down chasing that moisture, and you may have better drought resistance in your lawn later.

Looking back at some of the U of M Extension advice back from the hot dry summer of 2021 there are some good reminders:

• Grass species/ mixes matter for drought resistance and also recovery after drought
• Browning doesn't mean everything is dead - grasses have dormancy 
• Recovery after drought can benefit from keeping traffic lower

Wondering about when you can water your lawn in Stillwater? Some City of Stillwater and State of Minnesota restrictions apply. Check the City website for the latest information. In common with most local cities, there are local restrictions to aid in water conservation.

Key things to know if you are connected to city water:

• Watering lawns is only allowed on the odd or even days of the month corresponding to your street number 
• Lawn watering is allowed only before 10am or after 5pm on your scheduled days from June 1st to October 1st
• You can apply for a waiver/ exception from the city to allow you to water lawns daily for the first 30 days for new sod or seed 
• More details on the city website 
• You can get a citation for watering lawns outside allowed times
• There are more relaxed rules for watering shrubs and gardens but they require you to be in attendance personally during watering (vs an automatic sprinkler)

The State of Minnesota has rules requiring newly installed irrigation systems to have rain-skip capability - for example, using rain sensors to pause watering, or using connected weather reporting to control watering schedules. The 2022 statute 103G.298 is here.
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Water conservation is another reason to consider shifting some of your lawn to organic management. The grasses can adapt over time and become more drought tolerant and your water usage can be reduced, saving you money as well as protecting our environment.