Tom Nyarunda

How to Keep Your Lawn Alive Through Summer Summer is a demanding time for lawns. The decisions you make before and during summer determine whether your lawn will survive the heat. Take steps to prepare your lawn to withstand the summer heat. Good preparation will ensure the best health and physical conditions before summer sets in and prepares the lawn for the approaching shock. The average in summer temperature exceeds 100 degrees. A few grass varieties can survive the high temperatures. However, most will suffer as the temperatures rise during the hottest months. Maintaining a healthy lawn is a daunting task at such times. Make adjustments During summer, you must adjust the way you take care of your lawn. Scale grasses like Zoysia should down to their roots just before summer. Follow that up with a top dressing and you will have it all flushed back after a few weeks. You can’t do that with typical grasses. Most other grasses require maintenance no matter how tough things become; they demand specialized attention during summer. There are things you can do to prevent your lawn from browning during summer. If you are battling with the scorching sun during summer or drought, the following suggestions will help to keep your lawn green and healthy: Don't Cut Too Short The most common mistake made by property owners is cutting lawns too short. When you cut the lawn too short, you reduce the plant’s ability to create energy for optimal growth. When it’s cut, the grass develops stronger roots that support a dynamic plant that can tolerate the stress. Different grass varieties have different growth habits; this is in relation to their mowing heights. There are different maintenance techniques for warm season grass types and cool-season grass types. Do proper research or ask your lawn care expert what is right for your lawn. Keep In Mind One Third Rule When choosing the right height to cut your lawn, keep in mind the “one-third rule”. Don’t cut over one-third of the height of the grass at any one time. That helps to keep the lawn cooler since you only remove a small amount of plant tissue. Cool season grass types thrive in the summer heat when you set the blade higher. For instance, if your lawn stays at 2.5 inches, let it grow to three inches during summer. Regulate Water Intake The biggest misconception lawn maintenance in extreme heat periods is that you must over water it. Worse still, some people irrigate their lawns after rainfall. The rule of the thumb is; lawn grasses thrive better on the dry side instead of the wet. When you have too much water, it creates physiological problems for the grass and soil organisms. Too much water in the soil deprives the grassroots of oxygen. That makes turf grasses susceptible to diseases that thrive in wet conditions. Drier grass and soil conditions lead to healthier grass during summer. Careful how you water Water your lawn enough to wet the entire root zone and don't repeat until the grass becomes dry. Use your eyes to determine the next watering; repeat when the grass looks dry. Give careful consideration to areas that dry faster than others. Provide adequate hydration without over watering the lawn. Your lawn only needs an inch of water weekly. Don’t Mow During a Drought Don’t mow your lawn when there is drought stress. A lawn under stress has a limited ability to recover after mowing. The best time to mow your lawn is after it rains or irrigation; don’t mow the wet grass to avoid clumping. Sharpen Your Mower Blades Grass heals faster when you use a sharp mower blade. Dull blades rip the plant tissue instead of cutting. Torn grass develops a brown appearance and becomes vulnerable to disease and stress. Sharpened blades prevent browning and injury to the plant tissue. Return the Grass Clippings Once you finish mowing, return the clippings to the lawn using use a mulching mower. As they decompose, clippings act as fertilizer. Aim the clippings away from water bodies, storm drains, and streets to reduce pollution. Don’t Cultivate Fertilizing your lawn is a good thing for maintaining a lush green and healthy lawn. However, you must not do this during the heat of summer. Cool season grasses consume more than they produce during summer. Fertilizing them will over stimulate growth. That causes them to consume more energy and further stress the grass during high-temperature periods. Don’t fertilize You can improve your lawn through aeration. Don't impose the lawn during summer or you will damage it. Spring and fall are the best times to cultivate. The turf is vibrant enough during those seasons to recover from temporary injury. Reduce Traffic Human and animal traffic can take a toll on your lawn. Traffic will damage the structure of your turf plant, make it brown and wear it to bare dirt. Note the areas worn by traffic and give them time to recover. Maintain year-round care The easiest way to maintain a lush green lawn is to have a two-pronged approach. The first step is to maintain year-round care. Healthy grass tolerates heat stress more. Second, continue to practice season-long care. These are watering, fertilization, mowing and pest control. The same way you benefit from personal health habits of eating, sufficient sleep, and proper exercise is the same way you will equip your lawn to tolerate the hottest summer. Conclusion A well-kept lawn looks good, reduces glare and provides a cooling effect. Your lawn has already endured months of being trampled upon, being mowed, less than perfect drainage, heavy downpours, and drought. The turf now needs some affectionate care to survive the hot long summer days and prepare for the coming autumn and winter.