Your lawn is thirsty, even though it may look dormant and dead.

With the rather long term dry spell we have recently been on in Denver, you may be wondering what to do with your plants and your garden. Well, it's time to water them. Even though it's wintertime, your plants still need water so the roots do not die off—and that's exactly what could happen, especially if you have planted trees within the last two years.

ISA certified arborist Matthew Ward with Environmental Designs has some tips on how to care for your lawn during the winter months and prolonged periods of dry weather.

Your Lawn Is Still Metabolizing

Your plants and your lawn are still metabolizing, even during the cold months, which means they still need water. Roots are currently active in trees, shrubs, and your lawn, so watering them will have big payoffs in the spring. Greenery should be watered one to two times in a two-week period. That is, if there's no natural watering that's occurring, like presently. If there's no water for plants and lawns to drink up, lawn mites may show up since it's easier for them to dig through dry roots.

Also, trees, shrubs, or turf planted within the last two years will see impacts more than matured greenery, and it's because they are young and more tender, which, in turn, means that they need more attention and help.

Keeping an Eye on Your Sprinkler Systems

Courtesy of GIPHY

An important fact to remember is that it's still winter, so if you plan to turn your sprinkler systems on, don't forget to turn them back off. Pipes and sprinkler lines could refreeze, so it's recommended that you just bust out the watering hose and individually water your gardens, if possible. If you think about your lawn in terms of depth of roots and soil, plants should get about a quarter of an inch of water.

North or South?

Another factor to remember is that if you have a south-facing lawn, those tend to dry out much quicker due to the amount of sun they see in comparison to those north-facing lawns. Lawn mites almost always attack those south-facing lawns.

As we head into the next few months, Mother Nature will, of course, bring back some precipitation, but in the meantime—and while she is clearly giving us a break right now—it's good to help out your lawn in her place.

Any other tips for watering your lawn in the winter? Sound off in the comments below.