Summer Lawn Care Tips, or turf maintenance as it’s commonly known, refers to maintaining your grass, soil and overall yard health during the hot, dry, often harsh summer months through proper mowing, watering, fertilization, pest control and general upkeep. Summer care in particular can have significant implications as extreme heat waves or extended drought periods place excessive strain on grass leaves causing it to brown out or even die off altogether.
What Is Summer Lawn Care and Why Is It Important?
Because summertime is when most families utilize their yards most heavily; from hosting barbecues and outdoor parties to just relaxing under the sun. A dry or patchy lawn not only looks uninviting but it can affect curb appeal of your home as well. With proper summer lawn maintenance practices in place, ensuring it remains green, soft and enjoyable spaces will remain green, soft and enjoyable spaces for you and your family to use and enjoy this summer season will ensure lasting enjoyment from spending time in it all summer long.
Best Summer Lawn Care Tips for a Healthy Yard
1. Water Deeply but Infrequently
Watering your summer lawn properly is of critical importance, yet many overlook its significance. Instead of light daily watering sessions, opt for deep irrigation sessions 2-3 times each week which encourage deep root development that leads to increased drought-resistance in your grass.
- Water the best: early morning before 10 AM or late evening afterwards.
- Ideal amount: 1 to 1.5 inches per week (including rainfall).
2. Mow High and Often
For best results during summer, raise the cutting height on your mower for better shade for soil reduction by reduced evaporation while cooling roots.
- Cool-season grasses (Kentucky Bluegrass, for instance) should remain at around 3.5 inches
- warm season grasses such as Bermuda or Moesia should ideally remain between 2 to 2.5 inches high for best results.
When trimming with mower blades sharpened for use.
3. Use Mulching Mowers
Instead of bagging clippings, use a mulching mower. By decomposing into compostable substances and returning those nutrients back into the soil, mulched grass clippings provide valuable nourishment while replenishing its essential moisture reserves.
4. Aerate Your Lawn
In early summer (if not already done in spring) aerating allows more air, water and nutrients to reach the roots more readily using core aerators that remove small plugs of soil from plug aeration machines.
5. Control Weeds Regularly
In summer, crabgrass and dandelions thrive. Apply post-emergent herbicides when necessary or pull by hand when necessary to combat them; avoid use during extreme heat to minimize lawn stress.
6. Tune up Irrigation Systems during Dry Conditions
Check for damaged sprinkler heads and ensure even coverage with soaker hoses or drip irrigation for greater water conservation.
7. Keep an Eye on Pests and Diseases
Summer months bring with them pests like grubs, chinch bugs and fungal diseases such as fungal patch rot. Look out for brown patches or signs such as browning grass or increased bird activity that signal potential infestation (brown spots indicate possible grub infestation.
What Are the Best Fertilizers to Use During Summer?
1. Slow-Release Fertilizers
Attain a lush lawn this season by feeding it slowly over time using slow release nitrogen-based blends specifically tailored for summer use. Check labels carefully as some formulations might need additional nitrogen supplementation during droughty conditions.
2. Organic Options
Organic compost, manure and lawn food products can provide environmentally-friendly options while being gentler on your grass than synthetic options.
3. Liquid Lawn Fertilizers
Use spot fertilizers carefully in order to avoid over-fertilization; for optimal results use early to midsummer fertilization without extreme heat waves as this could overstimulated plants and prevent them from greening up properly.
Pro Tip: Fertilize in early to mid-summer, but not during extreme heat waves.
Recommended Fertilizer Brands for summer:
- Scotts Turf Builder Summer Guard
- Milorganite Organic Nitrogen Fertilizer
- Espuma Organic Lawn Food
What Are Common Summer Lawn Care Mistakes to Avoid?
1. Overwatering
Too much water leads to shallow roots that increase risk for fungal infection and disease.
2. Cutting the Grass Too Short
The most commonly made mistakes when caring for lawns during the summer are overwatering (leading to shallow roots) and cutting grass too short (cutting too short of an height than necessary).
3. Fertilizing during a Heat wave
High temperatures can cause fertilizers to burn your grass so always follow package directions when fertilizing in hot temperatures.
4. Ignoring Soil Health
An unhealthy lawn requires rich soil with proper nutrients for healthy grass growth; consider aerating or soil testing as necessary to achieve that result
5. Skipping Regular Maintenance
Maintaining regular mowing, watering and inspection schedules is necessary – neglecting this aspect invites problems into your lawn’s lifecycle and should never be left for weeks on end without attention being provided to avoid problems in its entirety.
How Does Summer Lawn Care Differ from spring or fall?
Spring Lawn Care:
- Spring lawn Care should focus on jumpstarting growth after winter has come and gone by fertilizing
- Dethatching, and weed prevention measures as needed.
- Soil may often remain cool and moist during this phase.
Fall Lawn Care:
- Focus: preparation involves dormancy preparation such as dethatching.
- Overseeding final fertilization and leaf removal.
- Lawn enters a rest phase.
Summer Lawn Care:
- Focus Protecting from heat stress and drought stressors.
- Includes: Proper watering, mowing and pest/disease control measures should be provided in order to promote healthy grass.
- Grass is often stressed from heat and activity.
Conclusion
Maintaining a lush, vibrant lawn during summer requires consistent care, smart watering practices, timely fertilization and keen observation. By following proper summer lawn care tips and paying close attention to detail, your yard can stay lush green and vibrant even during the hottest months.
Remember this simple formula when maintaining your lawn this summer: water deep, mow high and avoid common mistakes to treat it like the living system it truly is. Enjoy backyard BBQs while admiring your view from an impressive lawn this summer with pride.
FAQ’s
How often should I water my lawn in summer?
Water 2-3 times a week with deep soaking to encourage deep root growth. Avoid daily light watering.
Is it okay to fertilize my lawn in the middle of summer?
Yes, but avoid doing it during extremely hot days. Choose a slow-release, summer-friendly fertilizer.
Can I mow my lawn during a drought?
Yes, but mow less frequently and keep the blade height higher to reduce stress on the grass.
What time and day is best to mow in summer?
Early morning or late evening are both recommended to reduce stress on both lawn and yourself.
Should my grass clippings be bagged or mulched?
Mulching can provide essential moisture back into the soil through mulching.
What steps can I take to avoid brown patches on my lawn?
Brown patches may be caused by pests, overwatering or fungal infections in my grass – proper watering practices as well as pest management should help.
What grass species thrive during summer weather conditions?
Warm-season grasses like Bermuda, Moesia and St Augustine tend to do best during hotter months.
