Summer Lawn Care Tips
Lawns can provide an excellent area for entertaining and enjoying the outdoors during the summer. Busy schedules, vacations, and an effort to try to soak up the sun can leave some lawns in disrepair. Consider these tips to keep your lawn in tip-top condition this summer:
WATER AT THE RIGHT TIME
You may think that any time is a good time to water a lawn but summer watering is trickier than other times of the year. Lawn care experts recommend that you water the lawn in the morning hours before 10 am in order for your lawn to get a good soak. Watering in the afternoon would be less efficient as water would evaporate under a hot summer sun. Many homeowners choose to water at night as well but this can lead to wet lawns overnight which can encourage disease. Choosing to water your lawn in the early morning is your best bet for a great looking lawn.
ADD NUTRIENTS
Summer lawns grow a lot each day and giving your lawn enough nutrients in order to grow well is important to the livelihood of the lawn. Consider adding bagged fertilizer or compost in order to give your lawn the nutrients that it needs. Less is more when it comes to fertilizer to keep the lawn from burning. Try applying a light coat of fertilizer a few weeks apart and take note of how your lawn responds to the added energy.
KEEP WEEDS AWAY
Not only does your lawn grow a lot during the summer but so do pesky weeds. Consider killing weeds before they have the chance to mature and take hold in your lawn. Spread a weed preventer over all areas of your lawn in order to keep weed levels down. Spot treat those weeds that have appeared or consider sending the kids outside to pull weeds as well.
LET IT BREATHE
Your lawn needs time during the year to breathe and summer is a great time to do so. Aerate your lawn in order to fight against thatch buildup as well as allow rainfall to penetrate the grass roots. Renting an aerator is an easy option that will get the job done quickly if you don’t mind little cylinders of grass spread throughout the lawn. Other options include aerating the lawn manually with a pitchfork as well. There are even aeration tools on the market like spiked boots that can be worn while taking a walk over all of the areas of the lawn to provide much-needed aeration. Note that climate plays a role in when to aerate your lawn. For example, in Texas, summertime is a great time to aerate, but in the Northeast, you’ll want to wait until fall. Be sure to do check your local turfgrass extension for their recommendation.
DON’T CUT TOO SHORT
Lawn experts recommend that you only cut up to 1/3 of the grass while mowing. Cutting more off the lawn can actually end up damaging the grass blades and may pull out delicate grass roots. Shorter lawns will dry out in hot summer conditions and can encourage dry spots. Consider mowing the lawn more at a higher setting in order to keep the grass safe from damage.
SET A SCHEDULE
A large part of summer lawn care involves not letting the lawn get out of hand too quickly. Consider setting a lawn schedule for cutting and watering so that you know when the lawn is due for maintenance. If summertime is too busy for your family, consider hiring a lawn care service to do the work for you in order to keep your lawn looking great all summer long.
Keeping your lawn looking great during the summer is easy with these simple tips. Make sure to feed, aerate, and water your lawn when needed as well as work hard to keep weeds from taking hold. Other tips include setting a mowing schedule and not cutting too much off the top of the grass in order to protect the lawn. Do these things to make sure that your lawn is ready for summertime play and entertaining all season long.
Jackie Greene is a blogger, gardener, and nutrition enthusiast. She enjoys creating organic meals for family and friends using the fresh ingredients she produces from her backyard homestead.