Why didn’t someone warn us that we were in for hurricane-like conditions?! I think it’s safe to say that nobody was quite as prepared as they might have liked to be in order to deal with the amount of water that poured into Hendersonville recently. With how badly the roads flooded, our minds were on the many lawns that could have acted as impromptu swimming pools had the weather been warmer. So you might be wondering, what is the best course of action to take as your lawn begins to drain? How should you handle the newly landed leaves, and what is the appropriate time to wait before you even think about mowing? We’re here to help.

After a big rain the biggest obstacle is knowing what to do to help your lawn as it begins the process of drying. One thing that will definitely speed that process along is making sure that you’ve turned off any sprinkler or irrigation systems that you have. It is easy to forget about these systems, especially if they are automatic, but adding moisture to the ground that is already sopping wet, is not a bright idea.

As your ground begins to dry, you can add fertilizer back to the lawn to replenish any lost nutrients. Adding fertilizer will also help encourage strong root growth, which help to protect your lawn from being completely ruined in a big rain.

There were a lot of trees that went down around Hendersonville during the storm. If this also happened in your yard, it is a good idea to remove the debris from the lawn, if you are no longer under water. Leaving these debris in place will hinder drying and you can risk bacteria or mold beginning to form. We also suggest that, apart from removing debris, you stay off of your lawn until it’s had the chance to recover. Treading on wet grass can encourage impaction, and you’re more likely to accidentally rip up roots of your grass and plants since the ground is soggy.

In terms of mowing after a big rain, we encourage you to wait a few days. When we experience rain for days or weeks on end, it can also take weeks for the ground to completely dry out. In our case, since it was just a day of hard rain, it shouldn't take weeks, but you do have to be careful. Don’t mow for a few days to make sure that the ground is drying successfully. Mowing wet grass can cause impaction, which will damage your lawn. You also risk damaging your equipment, and if you are using a riding lawn mower it is especially dangerous in our hilly landscape to attempt to mow when your lawn is still muddy.