The hottest months of the year come with a lot of wear and tear. Your lawn is exposed to extreme heat all day long, requiring significantly more attention compared to the rest of the year to stay fresh and green. But here’s some good news! We have got just the perfect tips to turn your lawn into the envy of your neighborhood. A hint: it’s all about doing basic stuff at the right time in the right way, with the right tools, from June to September.
How do you do that? That’s exactly what we will be talking about. Let’s jump in!
Soil Testing
As you enter summer, your lawn is basically coming from a season where the water was ample, the soil was rich, and the growth was crazy. That is spring. Thanks to the rapid growth of the grass and plants in that season, your soil is drained of more nutrients than all seasons combined. How much of your soil is drained can only be determined through accurate soil testing for pH and nutrients.
You can either do it by yourself or just send a sample to the nearest laboratory for professional testing. Either way, you will get an accurate idea of whether and what kind of attention your soil needs to make it ideal for growth in the scorching summer heat.
Just so you know, the ideal pH for grass growth is between 6 and 7, and the essential macronutrients required are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
Always Mow High
In summers, the one thing you don’t want for your grass is dry soil. Having slightly taller grass ensures that doesn’t happen in several different ways. First, it shades the soil from constant sunlight exposure, making chances of evaporation significantly lower, and helping the soul retain water for a few more hours than it usually would.
Second, taller grass has deeper roots. So even when the topsoil dries out, the grass can still tap into the cool, moist layers underneath. You can also leave the grass clippings as mulch to improve the soil’s water retention, while also providing it with some extra nutrients to ensure optimal grass growth throughout the summer.
Don’t Forget Watering
Sometimes, the best thing you can do is just get the basics in place, and the rest will follow. That stands true for watering your lawn as well. Watering for the right amount of time at the right time of day can do wonders for your lawn in the summers.
The best time to water your do summer lawn care is between 5 am and 9 am for a longer duration to ensure the soil absorbs maximum moisture before the excess is evaporated by the heat. While most people water the grass after 6 pm in the evening, that’s not really a good practice since there’s no way for the excess water to escape. Consequently, this attracts pests and diseases, putting your lawn health at risk.
If the days are rainy, you would like to water your lawn a little less frequently than usual. Overwatering can do more harm than good, leading to problems like weed growth, diseases, and even fungal growth in some cases. During rainy days, you can either stop watering at all or just water less frequently with shorter duration.
Keep the Weeds in Check
You know what summer heat does other than sucking up all that water from the soil? It makes your grass look sparse. Which means there’s a lot of room for the weeds to grow. And if left unchecked for long enough, they’ll slowly take over your lawn, and it’ll be hard to control at that point. If there are not many weeds, you can pluck them out by hand to avoid introducing any chemicals to your lawn.
However, if the situation is out of control already, you can go for more potent options like post-emergent chemical treatments readily available in the market. There are also a bunch of homemade remedies you can try to minimize environmental damage caused as a result, but those are moderately effective and won’t be able to handle a large amount of weeds.
Don’t Let the Pests Take Over
Pests can absolutely destroy your lawn, as they love to munch on your turf roots. Not to mention, things can get absolutely horrendous when you’re dealing with different types of pests at the same time. There are root feeders like white grubs and billbugs, and then there are stem and leaf feeders like chinch bugs.
When both come at the same time, things can get out of hand pretty quickly. As a result, you will be infusing your soil with all sorts of chemicals before you even know it, which can damage your lawn as well as the overall environment around it.
The best course of action would be to just avoid these pests in the first place through careful practices like proper watering, seasonal aeration, regular mowing, and careful fertilizing. If you keep these basics in check, pests are never going to take over your garden, guaranteed.
Final Thoughts
Summer lawn care is actually easier than it sounds. All you need to do is just take care of some basic things, and your lawn should be better than an average lawn. Just get your soil nutrients and pH in place, mow regularly, and keep the weeds in check, and there’s nothing stopping you from enjoying a lush, green lawn that is as beautiful as it is peaceful. So get your pen and paper, make your summer lawn care checklist, and include all the points we have discussed here. You’ll be amazed at what taking care of the basics can do!