Summer time is here, can your lawn handle the heat?
There are many ways you can keep your lawn healthy and green all summer long. It just takes a few simple tasks.
One common mistake made by both homeowners and commercial landscape maintenance companies is cutting a lawn too short. If your lawn is cut to short it reduces the plant’s ability to produce energy for growth. When cut at the proper height, the grass can grow stronger and develop deeper and healthier roots. Also keep in mind that each different type of grass has different growth habits such as Bermuda grass. It should be cut at least to a 2 inch height. You can allow it to grow to 3 inches between mowing. If you fertilize moderately, mowing a lawn should only be needed once per week.
One misconception about maintaining grass in extreme heat is the necessity to over water. A big issue is that after rainfall, people still irrigate their lawn. Grasses do better managed on the dry side rather than wet; when soil is constantly wet, it creates too many problems for plants and soil organisms alike. The grass-roots will be deprived of oxygen and may become more susceptible to disease because diseases thrive in wet conditions. In general, the drier the grass and soil, the less disease there will be. If you do water the grass at all it should be early in the morning or late in the afternoon when is not too hot outdoors. When grass is cut with a sharp mower blade, the plant will heal faster than when cut with a dull blade. Dull blades will actually tear the tissues in the grass not cut it. This torn grass tissue will develop a brown appearance at the surface and may become more susceptible to stress and disease. Sharper blades will prevent a brown appearance and help to prevent further harm to the plant.
Homeowners and landscape companies will do whatever it takes to keep their lawn healthy and growing right. Although the idea of fertilizing might sound like a good idea to maintain a vigorous lawn, do not consider it during the heat of mid-summer. During the hot summer months, the cool season grasses are consuming more than they can produce. Fertilizing stimulates more growth, which consumes even more energy further stressing lawns during periods of high temperatures.
I hope these tips will be very helpful to you and your lawn!
