Polymer Can Help in a Drought!

Due to the number of critical requests for help in dealing with established lawns and shrubs in the drought areas, this information is provided to help people cope with the crisis.

In all areas susceptible to drought (a severe drought is presently taking its' toll in even in the normally wet US Pacific Northwest) use polymer when planting everything, but for established lawns and shrubs, here are a few ideas which may help, as polymer was created to grow plants in the desert.

For plants and shrubs, create reservoirs around the plants by digging a few holes around the perimeter of the plant and filling with hydrated polymer then covering with soil. When watering, the polymer will rehydrate and prolong the amount of time between watering. Always use the polymer in its' hydrated state, because during a drought it is difficult to get adequate hydration in extremely dry soil. Add 1/4 cup of polymer (each pound contains about 2 1/4 cups) to a 5 gallon bucket of water and let stand for at least 1 hour. When fully hydrated the polymer will resemble clear Jell-O.. Orchard growers using this method to help trees by using augers to dig large holes and filling with polymer.

Below is the application page for lawns with an additional drought suggestion for established lawns. For years golf courses have mixed sand and peat moss and top coated the grass to improve water retention, now the soil on the greens are mixed with polymer to reduce watering by 35-50% (polymer is much more efficient at holding water than peat) and the old method of top coating will work better with polymer. The optimum use of the polymer requires tilling into the soil. In a drought situation, top coating will may help. Depending on how long ago the sod, was installed try rolling it back and till polymer into the soil or just spread it directly under the sod.

NEW LAWNS. Use large 2-4mm or Medium 1-2mm polymer. For application before sodding,* 4-5 pounds per 1,000 square feet tilled 1-2" deep or 5 pounds tilled 4-6" deep. Application can be either by hand or a lawn spreader. Never use more than 5 pounds per 1,000 square feet tilled only one inch as prolonged sponginess may occur. After first rain hydrated polymer may appear and the sod may seem loose, however the polymer will dissolve and after the roots grow the looseness will dissipate. Adding additional smaller polymer also helps capture water faster.

For established lawns in severe droughts, apply 2.5 lbs small and 2.5 lbs powder polymer per 1,000 square feet to the dry grass and cover with at least 1 inch of soil, mulch or sand, then soak thoroughly with water. A 50/50 blend of powdered polymer and small polymer is recommended for this application, as the blend will absorb all available water. The polymer must be covered with soil, mulch or sand as UV light degrades the polymer.

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