Defend Your Lawn Against Drought: RYAN’s New Drought Defense Program

Defend Your Lawn Against Drought: RYAN’s New Drought Defense Program

Wichita summers can be brutal for your lawn. Between the scorching heat, unpredictable rainfall, and water restrictions, it can be easy for your lawn to appear faded and dry. These drought conditions don’t just dry out your grass–they put unnecessary stress on your lawn, making it more vulnerable to disease and long-term damage. 

At Ryan Lawn & Tree, we understand that Wichita’s drought conditions are challenging. That’s why we’re excited to introduce a proactive solution: Drought Defense, a program that helps enable your lawn to stay healthy during extreme conditions–even on a limited water supply. 

What Is Drought Defense?

Drought Defense is a simple, four-step treatment program specifically geared towards providing a solution to the extreme drought conditions in the Wichita area. The treatment is applied to lawns to strengthen grass roots and improve moisture retention. 

By assisting your grass with these two important functions, your lawn will be significantly better prepared to manage extreme drought conditions when water is scarce. These applications reduce the need for constant watering, which is important considering that many lawns in the Wichita area can only be watered once a week due to restrictions. 

How Does This Work?

Drought Defense starts in early spring and continues through late summer. This means that your lawn is getting the proper care it needs before, during, and after the hottest months of the year. 

• Step 1: Root Booster (Spring) – The Root Booster is typically applied in April or May. In these spring months, your lawn is naturally focused on developing its roots, and Root Booster enhances this process. Having stronger roots is important because it means your grass can absorb water more efficiently. Strengthening roots is the first step to preparing a lawn for extreme drought conditions. 
• Steps 2-4: Moisture Manager Applications (Summer) – The Moisture Manager is applied from May to August. The summer months are when your lawn is under the most stress, and these applications help the soil retain water more effectively. This means that your lawn is less likely to dry out. The Moisture Manager includes follow-up treatments throughout the summer to ensure ongoing moisture retention throughout the dry summer months. 

Through this multi-faceted approach, your lawn is significantly strengthened against extreme drought conditions by strengthening it beforehand and offering support throughout the summer months. 

Why Drought Defense Is Important for Wichita Lawns

Drought conditions don’t just make your lawn unsightly, brown, and ugly. They are also detrimental to your lawn’s overall health. A hot summer with minimal water will make it harder for your lawn to recover, even when conditions improve. By proactively offering your lawn the support it needs during dry conditions, you’re giving it the ability to remain healthy for the long term.

Drew Wilson, Wichita Branch Manager at Ryan Lawn & Tree, explains it best: “Drought conditions don’t just impact water supply—they put serious stress on landscapes, making lawns, trees, and shrubs more vulnerable to disease, thinning, and long-term damage. With Drought Defense, we can offer support to Wichita homeowners who want to protect their lawns to mitigate these adverse effects caused by these extremely hot and dry conditions.”

Additional Lawn Care for Hot & Dry Wichita Summers

In addition to Drought Defense, there are other actions you can take that will help your lawn stay healthy during the dry summer months ahead. At Ryan Lawn & Tree, we believe smart, preventative care is the key to thriving landscapes—even in dry conditions. The two most important ways to maintain your lawn are through proper mowing and incorporating SMART irrigation techniques.

While not comprehensive, these tips can give you some additional action to take to protect your lawn from extremely dry conditions.

Lawn Care Tips – There are several other actions to take to protect your lawn. These lawn care tips are listed below:

• Mow High & Less Frequently: Try to keep your grass at 3-4 inches by mowing less frequently. This gives more shade to your roots, reducing water loss. In addition, you should avoid mowing your lawn during peak heat.
• Deep Watering on Your Allowed Day: When you get to water, make the most of it! You should water your lawn early in the morning on your designated day, and apply about ½ to 1 inch to encourage deeper root growth. NO NEED TO WATER IN EXCESS!
• Aeration & Overseeding: This will help your lawn absorb moisture better. Core aeration reduces soil compaction, helping roots absorb moisture efficiently. Overseeding strategically and with advice from your lawn manager can help fill in weak areas if needed. 

Watering Tips – Being able to make the most of your limited watering options will be important. Here are a few things you can do to improve the efficiency of your irrigation system:

• Drip Irrigation: These irrigation heads deliver water directly to the root zone, reducing evaporation and runoff. This means you make the most of the limited water you have!
• High-Efficiency Sprinkler Heads: These sprinkler heads are designed to distribute water more evenly and slowly. This helps you prevent waste and improve absorption.
• Irrigation system inspection: If your irrigation system has any leaks, this can not only affect how much water your lawn receives, but it can also increase your water bill! Having your irrigation system inspected can help detect leaks or faulty equipment. If there is a leak, damage, or heads need to be adjusted for more efficient coverage, this can save you a lot of trouble – and money in water bills – by having it taken care of. An inspection can ensure that your system is as efficient as possible.

In addition to RYAN’s Drought Defense, these actions can provide additional help to support your lawn during dry Wichita summers. 

Get Started

Drought Defense is available to both new and existing customers enrolled in RYAN’s Signature Lawn Care program. If you want to protect your lawn from drought stress and minimize your watering needs, now is the time to get started.

Sign up today and let’s make sure your lawn stays strong, green, and beautiful—no matter what the weather brings!

Schedule a Consultation Now