Sprinkle grass on dry sandy soil if you can

To maintain growth in the grass, it is important to start irrigating grass in time on dry sandy soil. Of course if that is possible.  

In some places, the precipitation deficit is already so great that crop damage can already occur if the grassland does not receive any moisture. In the east of the Netherlands, the groundwater level has fallen 15 to 40 centimeters since 70 March. The shortage increases quickly on sunny days. The moisture requirement of grass is then equal to 5 millimeters of rainfall per day. 

Choices for irrigation
Farmers who have to make choices when irrigating their fields are given the following advice:

• Prioritize areas where the turf deteriorates quickly due to drought.
• Prioritize fields that have been overseeded or reseeded. For these plots, 10-15 mm of water is sufficient. With this you continue to stimulate root growth (too much water makes the grass plant 'lazy') and fertilizers become sufficiently available.
• Irrigate 1-20 mm once a week and 25-2 mm twice a week in extreme drought.

Test the malleability
Are you wondering whether you should start watering yet? Then first do the 'malleability test' of the soil in the root zone. Dig a hole up to 20 centimeters deep (this is mainly the root zone of ryegrasses), take a handful of soil and squeeze it in your fist. If the soil is well malleable and if a ball on your hand remains intact, then irrigation is not necessary yet. Irrigation is necessary if the soil is no longer malleable and falls apart. 

PLEASE NOTE: starting watering too early has the opposite effect, a plant usually looks for water through the roots. Irrigation too early makes the plant 'lazy'.

Preventive: keep the potassium level up
In periods of drought, sufficient potash can make all the difference and ensure that the grass comes through well. Lower amounts of slurry and varying levels of potash in cattle slurry require a critical view of potash fertilization on grassland. From the second cut, especially if a lot of dry matter has been harvested, you must fertilize with potash to prevent shortages. This limits the typical (drought) stress factors for grassland in summer and autumn. Spreading 150 kg of K-60 is a simple solution to maintain the soil stock. It is also possible to opt for a combined fertilizer of nitrogen and potassium.