Summer is all about maintaining your lawn’s health and appearance. Maintaining the best looking lawn during the heat of the summer is challenging. By adhering to the following summer lawn stress remedies, you can rest assured that your lawn will be the healthiest it can be throughout the hot summer months.
WATER REMEDY Lawns require 3-4 centimeters of water each week in order to maintain a green colour and foster steady growth. More water is needed when the heat is severe. The amount of supplemental watering your lawn needs depends on the amount of rain water your lawn receives each week. Grass plants slow their growth during the high summer temperatures. Some homeowners choose to let their lawns slip into a dormant state during the hot weather by not watering their lawns. A dormant lawn is brown, dry and unattractive. Nevertheless, it will green up when cooler weather and moisture returns. If your lawn goes into a dormant state during the summer, do not try to water it back to life. Allow it to remain dormant until the fall. If you choose to continue watering throughout the summer, it is important that you commit to a watering schedule. Deep, infrequent watering is ideal because it encourages deep root growth, helping your lawn become more drought tolerant. Water your lawn in the early morning to minimize loss of water due to evaporation that will occur under a hot afternoon sun. Avoid evening watering to prevent potential turf diseases from developing. Lastly, always remember to check local watering restrictions to be sure you are in compliance.
FERTILITY REMEDY Fertilizing a dormant lawn is not recommended, unless the fertilizer is a high quality, slow release, granular fertilizer. An application of slow release granular fertilizer will not release nutrients, which encourage growth, until the conditions are ideal. If your lawn is being properly maintained with correct watering and mowing practices, then a summer fertilizer application will benefit your lawn. However, because grass plants grow slowly during the summer months, they also feed less aggressively as well.
LAWN DISEASE REMEDY Lawn diseases can occur at any time. However, the summer seems to always be the worst time of year for lawn disease challenges to occur. Many lawn disease issues are caused by environmental factors that are out of the homeowner’s control. However, there are a few things that you can do to make your lawn less susceptible to lawn diseases this summer. Aerate your lawn at least once each year. Aeration reduces soil compaction, and encourages a steady flow of oxygen, water and nutrients to reach the grass plants. Aeration also helps establish strong healthy roots. Also, prune low tree limbs and shrubs in order to increase light and air circulation for your grass.
Summer weather puts your lawn through quite a bit of stress. Growth will be slower, the vibrant green colour may fade, and your lawn may show signs of wear and tear as the summer months progress. Following the above summer lawn stress remedies will help you gently care for your lawn, and prevent significant lawn damage as the summer temperatures rise.