In most places where grasses are used in landscaping, there will be sufficient rainfall to keep it looking good without supplemental irrigation or watering. However, if it is planted in a very dry climate or there is a lengthy drought, Rough bluegrass may die out if it isn’t watered. During the winter months, this grass goes dormant and may appear to be dead, but it still needs moisture to keep from becoming fully dehydrated. It regrows as weather warms up in the spring.

A good rule of thumb for watering Rough bluegrass is that it does best with about an inch of water every 1 week. A thorough drenching in a short period of time is better than a slow and steady drip, as it leads to a stronger, deeper root system.

Freshly planted grass has more specific requirements for watering. After planting, the young grass needs to be kept moist for the first 3 to 4 weeks until it has a chance to establish itself. The best time of year to plant Rough bluegrass is in the late spring to early summer, when there tends to be plenty of rainfall anyway. However, if your area experiences a dry spell after you’ve recently planted grass in your lawn, it is a good idea to cover the grass to prevent water evaporating or to water the lawn to keep soil moist.

Considerations for Watering Rough bluegrass
The environmental conditions, soil type, and amount of drainage will affect how often Rough bluegrass needs to be watered. If your lawn has sandy soil that doesn’t retain much moisture, you may need to irrigate to keep this grass looking its best. Clay soils that drain slowly and hold a lot of water are less likely to need additional water, but can be bad for Rough bluegrass as this grass is sensitive to too much water around its roots.

Overwatered Rough bluegrass
If your grass is turning yellow or pale green, it may be getting too much water. Although Rough bluegrass is tolerant of almost any soil type (it is not sensitive to pH, and can be in sandy, loamy, or clay soil types), it doesn’t do well in soil that doesn’t drain well. Avoid planting this grass in marshy areas or where the ground feels spongy. If you irrigate your lawn, err on the side of too little water vs too much, since Rough bluegrass does best if it’s allowed to dry out before being watered again.

Wet soil can allow fungus to grow, or create a favorable habitat for insect pests and weeds. Of course you can’t control how much rain falls on your Zoysia grass, and the occasional heavy rainfall is unlikely to cause problems for this resilient plant. However, long-term overwatering can cause the plant to suffer and even die off.

Underwatered Rough bluegrass
One of the advantages of growing Rough bluegrass is that it can survive without much water since it has adaptations that help it to conserve water. This grass has a deep root system, meaning it can use groundwater if it hasn’t been watered in a while. In drought conditions, this grass will turn yellow and get crispy, but it can recover once the dry spell is over. The ability to recover from a variety of conditions is one of the many reasons that Rough bluegrass is such a popular grass.

Pruning your Rough bluegrass is a fairly simple process that helps encourage the growth of a naturally healthy plant. To keep your Rough bluegrass in good health year after year, you can choose to either strategically prune it or cut it back each season.

Whether to prune or cut back depends on the way you want your plant to grow and the look you’re trying to achieve in your garden or home. Some gardeners favor the cutting back method, as it leaves more room for entirely new growth. However, it is possible to selectively and strategically prune Rough bluegrass while still encouraging full healthy growth in spring.

Pruning your Rough bluegrass is a fairly simple process. First, you will need a reliable set of hand pruners or hedge trimmers. You may use a clean pair of sharp scissors if you don’t have pruners or garden shears on hand. It’s important to always clean your gardening tools before and after using them to prevent the possibility of spreading disease or infection to other plants.

To prune your Rough bluegrass simply allow your plant to go dormant over the Winter. Some time between late winter and early spring – or when new growth starts to appear – take your clean pruners or trimmers and cut away any dying, damaged, yellow or declining foliage. Repeat this process until you reach the base of the plant or until there are no dead pieces left to cut. When pruning, be careful not to damage the new growth that may be emerging near the base of your plant. These parts cannot be restored and pruning can increase the ventilation of the plants and facilitate their growth. Any pruning that is done to this plant should be cut straight across the blades or stems. No angled cuts are required.

Diseased leaf blade foliage can be removed as it appears. This could be done anytime when your Rough bluegrass is growing.

Early spring and late winter are the best times to prune your Rough bluegrass on a large scale. If you want to control the size of your Rough bluegrass, you can prune them as you wish, but be careful not to prune more than a third of the size of the plant.

Yellow and diseased leaves may appear during the summer months when the Rough bluegrass is growing vigorously and these types of leaves need to be pruned back immediately. These parts of the Rough bluegrass cannot be restored and pruning increases the ventilation of the plant and facilitates its growth.

Once you’ve pruned your plant, you should dispose of the stems and leaves either by composting the healthy ones or throwing out the diseased parts. You can also fertilize just before or after pruning, which gives Rough bluegrass a little vitamin boost that can provide it the nutrients needed to better protect itself from any nearby pathogens or diseases.

Do not water the Rough bluegrass immediately after pruning as this can lead to fungal infestation of the plants through the wounds.

You don’t need much after care when you’re done pruning. It might benefit from light watering and some liquid plant food to encourage new growth.

Strategic pruning is usually done at different times of the year or during certain stages of growth depending on the plant. However, knowing when to prune your Rough bluegrass depends on where you live and how established your plant is. For example, if your Rough bluegrass is a new resident, it’s a good idea to wait until the plant starts to grow back before you start pruning. On the other hand, if your plant is already established, you will want to prune the dry or dead parts in plant before new leafy growth appears in early spring or late winter. This is the time of year when plants are dormant and pruning causes the least damage to them. This is also the best time of year to do more extensive pruning.

It’s important to note that if Rough bluegrass is pruned too late in the season, it can leave new growth at risk for damage or disease. However, if your Rough bluegrass is indoors this is not a problem and you can prune at any time. Since this can affect the long-term health and appearance of your plant, it’s important to keep this in mind when deciding when and how to prune. As your Rough bluegrass grows larger over time, you can trim it as needed after annual pruning.

Dead, damaged, or diseased leaf blade foliage can be removed as it appears. This could be done anytime when your Rough bluegrass is growing.