The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Real Estate Advertorial Signs of drought stress and what to do about it A pristine lawn is a source of pride for homeowners. Even the most well-main- tained lawns must confront a host of chal- lenges in a given year, and perhaps no chal- lenge is more daunting than drought. Homeowners may feel helpless when drought strikes and begins to transform their lawns from green sources of pride to off-color eyesores. However, learning to identify signs of drought stress and what to do about it can help homeowners get their lawns through dry periods. Signs of drought stress The lawn care experts at TruGreen note that there are four common characteristics of drought stress. Perhaps the most notice- able is changes in color, but it's important that homeowners recognize there's a dif- ference between a change in hue and a change in colour. When a lawn changes its hue, typically turning from bright green to a dull gray or blue green colour, it is in what TruGreen identi� es as the � rst stage of drought stress. Regular watering, if it's allowed (lo- cal drought restrictions may dictate how much water can be applied to the lawn), can help the grass regain its moisture and the lawn may recover within a couple of days. When lawns change from green to brown, this is indicative that the lawn is in a dormancy stage. At this point, the lawn is entering survival mode. Watering to save the lawn will need to be more extensive. Deep and repeated watering for two to three weeks may help restore the lawn, but some parts ultimately may not recover. And deep watering may not be allowed until drought restrictions are lifted, increasing the likelihood that a signi� cant portion of the lawn turns brown. Footprints in the lawn are another sign of drought stress TruGreen indicates that this is a result of lawns that are too tired to spring back up after they have been walked on. Wilting also indicates drought stress is affecting the lawn. Wilting occurs when grass blades roll or fold because they don't have suf� cient water content. What to do about drought stress In addition to the watering techniques noted above, homeowners can try other strategies to help their lawns make it through a drought. TruGreen advises against mowing drought-stressed grass and keeping off the lawn as much as pos- sible. Removing tall weeds is another strategy homeowners can try. Doing so ensures the grass, and not the weeds, gets what little water is available during a drought. Homeowners also should resist the temptation to mow too close, especially when signs of drought stress are just be- ginning to appear. TruGreen notes that mowing too close creates a shallow root system that makes lawns more vulnerable to drought. It can be hard to watch a pristine lawn suffer from drought stress. But several strategies can increase the likelihood that lawns survive such conditions. More infor- mation about combatting drought can be found at www.trugreen.com. (MCC) 15 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,M ay 27,2021 insidehalton.com This report is courtesy of YHSGROC. Intended to solicit buyers or sellers not currently under contract.Copyright © 2021 Oakville - Are you an "Empty Nester" who needs a home for the future? Is it time to downsize or to move into another home more suitable for your glorious retirement years? Like thousands of residents in our area, you may be discovering that after years of non-stop child traffic in and out of your doors, toys on the floor,music floating throughout, suddenly you can hear a pin drop over the quiet hum of the refrigerator.Your rooms are filled with pictures and memories of this wonderful time of your life, but there are many empty rooms gathering dust now that your children have moved on.The freer years ahead are exciting ones to look forward to, and it's time for you to move on as well. If you find yourself in this situation, you're in vast and good company.And what that means is that there are many wonderful opportunities for you to create this new chapter in your life...if you know what is takes to get the most out of the equity you've built up in your current home. To help you understand the issues involved in making such a move,and how to avoid the 9 most common and costly mistakes most Empty Nesters make, a new report called "Empty Nester: How to Sell the Place You Call Home"has been prepared which identifies these issues, and shows you how to steer clear of the mistakes that could cost you literally thousands of dollars. To order a FREE Special Report, visit emptynestersmistakes.ca or to hear a brief recorded message about how to order your FREE copy of this report call toll-free 1-855-720-4937 and enter 2413. You can call any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Get your free special report NOW to find out how you can fly your empty nest with the most cash in your pocket. EMPTY NESTERS: How to Know When it's Time to Sell the Place You Call Oakville HomeGet the Toronto Star weekend home delivery for just $399* AWEEK FOR12 MONTHS YOU'LL GET: • Saturday and Sunday home delivery • Starweek Magazine print edition • Complimentary 7-day ePaper edition • Complimentary 7-day access to thestar.com website *Plus HST. This introductory offer is not available to existing Toronto Star subscribers. Save 46% off the newsstand rate for Saturday and Sunday delivery. This offer includes Starweek Magazine. The New York Times International Weekly or Book Review sections are not included. This offer is for a 12-month term and includes complimentary access to thestar.com and the Toronto Star ePaper edition. Complimentary access is available to Toronto Star home-delivery subscribers with an active account in good standing. If you choose to cancel your print account, or your subscription is in arrears, your access to thestar.com and the ePaper edition will be discontinued. The Toronto Star reserves the right to discontinue this offer at any time. Toronto Star delivery will continue after the 12-month introductory period at the regular home-delivery rate then in effect. This offer is a fixed subscription term. If you cancel prior to the end of the term, you will be charged an early cancellation fee equal to amounts otherwise payable for the remainder of the term, plus applicable taxes. The cancellation fee will be charged using the billing method we have on file at the time of cancellation. Please contact customer service at 416-367-4500 to get the regular rate for your area. Payment must be made by credit card only. Credit card payments will be billed monthly. View our subscriber agreement terms at www.thestar.com/ agreement. Toronto Star is committed to protecting your personal information. View our privacy policy at www.thestar.com/privacy. Offer expires June 15, 2021. SAVE 46 % OFFTHE NEWSSTAND RATE SUBSCRIBE ONLINE: tsoffers.ca/deal/comm OR CALL: 416-367-4500 and quote code 2DAYSAVE for weekend home delivery for 12 months