Drought-Tolerant Grass: How to Prepare Your Lawn for Summer
This summer is shaping up to be a dry one for lawns. You may already notice wilting blades, slower grass growth, or brown patches as your grass tries to conserve water.
The good news is there’s still time to prepare (or revive) your lawn before peak summer heat begins.
As a landscape and property care company in South Dakota’s Black Hills, Aspen Ridge Lawn & Landscape is focusing on helping customers establish stronger, more drought-tolerant grass ahead of July and August, when conditions are expected to become drier than normal.
A big part of that preparation starts below the surface. That’s why solutions like ProPeat® Fertilizer early in the season are critical. By improving soil structure and helping retain moisture at the root level, it gives residential and commercial lawns a better chance at handling extended heat and dry conditions.
Below, we’ll walk through how ProPeat Fertilizer and other techniques are used to build healthier, more resilient lawns heading into summer. But first, let’s look at what we’re up against this year.
Drought Outlook for the Summer
Recent reports suggest that over 60% of the United States is experiencing significant drought conditions as of April 2026. Some of the hardest-hit regions include the West, Southeast, and parts of the Midwest.
Even in areas that do receive rainfall, higher temperatures and increased evaporation are likely to limit how effective that moisture really is. That means many lawns will struggle to retain the water they do get, making soil health and moisture retention more important than ever.
South Dakota is Already Seeing It
According to the National Weather Service in Rapid City, drought conditions have been worsening since early spring due to dry, warm, and windy conditions.
As of late March:
- Some areas are experiencing D1 levels (moderate drought)
- Others have reached D2 (severe drought)
- And portions of Custer and Fall River counties have hit D3 (extreme drought)
In April, the Mount Rushmore area was classified under an extreme drought designation with projections indicating that these conditions are likely to persist into the summer.
Why Lawns Struggle without Moisture
In our line of work, we see it all the time. Most lawns are already at a disadvantage before drought conditions even set in.
Over time, soil becomes compacted or depleted of organic matter, meaning it can’t hold moisture effectively or support deep root formation or growth. And as conditions worsen, nutrients are no longer absorbed the way they should be.
That’s when you start to see dry grass, uneven growth, or areas that burn out quickly under heat stress.
Even lawns that look healthy in spring can decline fast once summer hits. Add in rising temperatures and inconsistent rainfall, and suddenly, a manageable issue turns into a much bigger problem.
How We Prepare Lawns for Drought Stress
Our approach focuses on strengthening lawns from the ground up while making sure they’re also supported above the surface.
Here’s what that looks like:
Improving soil health: Healthy soil holds moisture longer and supports deeper root growth, which is key to drought-tolerant grass.
Efficient, reliable irrigation: Properly designed and scheduled systems should work to ensure lawns get the right amount of water, without waste or guesswork.
Consistent, balanced nutrition: Through Aspen Ridge's fertilizer program, steady, season-long feeding using ProPeat Fertilizer to support long-term lawn health is provided
All of these pieces work together, but improving how the soil retains moisture and nutrients is what makes the biggest difference. That’s where products like ProPeat Fertilizer come in.
Why Landscapers Trust ProPeat
ProPeat Fertilizer is designed to do more than fertilize. It combines NPK nutrients and micronutrients with peat moss, a natural source of organic matter known for helping improve soil structure, moisture retention, and overall soil performance.
The peat moss component is a big reason why ProPeat Fertilizer stands out, especially during drought-like conditions.
|
Benefit |
What It Means for Your Lawn |
|
Retains Moisture |
Peat moss can hold up to 20x its weight in water, helping lawns stay hydrated longer during extreme heat and dryness. |
|
Improves Soil Structure |
Helps loosen compacted soil and improve aeration so oxygen, water, and nutrients move more effectively. |
|
Supports Stronger Roots |
Better soil conditions encourage deeper root growth and healthier, more drought-tolerant grass. |
|
Reduces Nutrient Loss |
Improved Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) helps soil retain and slowly release nutrients instead of losing them through runoff or evaporation. |
|
Helps During Drought |
Supports lawns under heat and drought stress by improving moisture retention and nutrient availability. |
|
Improves Water Quality |
Helps reduce erosion and slows surface water runoff during heavy rain or irrigation. |
|
Supports Healthier Soil |
Adds natural organic matter that contributes to healthier, more biologically active soil over time. |
|
Environmental Benefits |
Peat-based systems naturally contribute to oxygen production and can help reduce airborne pollutants. |
By enhancing your soil, ProPeat Fertilizer helps your lawn become naturally more resilient, not just temporarily greener.
Ignoring Drought-Stressed Grass
If your lawn isn’t prepared for drier conditions, stress can escalate quickly. What starts as slight discoloration can turn into dry grass and even turf loss.
If this happens, you may wonder: Will watering dead grass bring it back? Or “How can I revive dead grass?”
We get these questions a lot, and the first step is knowing whether your grass is actually dead or if it’s dormant.
- During seasonal drought, grass can go dormant (think of it as a survival mode). It does this during winter and will do it again in summer if moisture is scarce.
- If dry conditions persist for several weeks, however, without adequate moisture, grass can die and won’t come back on its own. At that point, restoration typically involves overseeding and aeration.
Drought-tolerant grass doesn’t happen by accident. If your lawn is showing signs of stress, don’t wait. ProPeat Fertilizer can help revive thinning, patchy, and dry grass while also preparing your grass for what’s ahead. It’s a product Aspen Ridge trusts, and one kept readily available to help their community grow greener, more resilient turf.
One important thing to remember: Stressed or dormant lawns are often more sensitive to fertilizer applications because they have less moisture available to buffer against burn. While ProPeat's natural-release approach is much gentler than many traditional fertilizers, it’s still important not to overapply.
In drought conditions especially, a lighter, steady approach is always better than overdoing it all at once.
About Aspen Ridge Lawn & Landscape
Aspen Ridge Lawn & Landscape is a full-service landscape and property care company based in the Black Hills of South Dakota. They specialize in lawn care, irrigation, landscape design and installation, and ongoing property maintenance for residential and commercial clients. Through their fertilizer program and on-site retail store and nursery, they help customers build healthier, more resilient outdoor spaces, season after season.
About the author
Maycee Pocock
As part of the ProPeat team, Maycee Pocock specializes in creating educational content focused on lawn care, fertilizer application, and soil health. Growing up in the fertilizer industry gave her firsthand insight into what it takes to build healthier lawns and stronger root systems. Today, she combines that knowledge with her marketing background to help homeowners and professionals get the most out of their fertilizer applications.
To submit a lawn project or success story for a future feature, contact maycee@propeat.com