Summer lawn care is a hot topic in Chester County. If you were wondering what to do and how to care for that lawn in the summer, there are a few things you need to know.
Summer lawn care is an art that you need to dominate this year. It’s the right time to make your lawn look great and also prepare for the colder season.
Keeping your lawn healthy and lush during the summer requires attention and basic knowledge of what to observe.
Because what you do and observe today will help you over time.
Once the basics of summer lawn care are understood, you will enjoy a beautiful lawn that you and your family will love.
So, if you want to create beautiful and happy memories, read on to learn our tips for summer lawn care.
Mowing height is important.
Do not give a buzz cut to your lawn!
Try to maintain a decent mowing height as part of your summer lawn care plan.
What does “decent” mean?
We encourage you not to mow under 4”.
Does it seem high to you?
Even though it may seem high, a mowing height between 4” to 4.5” is your best height. It will keep your lawn roots strong and increase your plant’s heat tolerance.
Besides, a turf between 4’ to 4.5” helps prevent weeds from germinating and keeps more shade which helps to keep your soil moist.
Also, 80% of the moisture in the grass is held in the leaf blade.
So mowing your lawn too short may stress the plant too much.
So, it’s okay to allow your lawn to get a little shaggy when the weather is hot and dry for a few days. It won’t get out of control, we promise!
Ready to start mowing?
Hold on to that idea, we are not done here!
Before starting to mow your lawn, check your mower’s blades. It is important that your blades are sharp to offer an optimal cut. So, sharpen them if they seem dull. Most brands have blades that can sustain anything between 8 to 12 mowing cycles. So check out your blades on a regular base.
Why is it important?
You want to give a clean-cut and not tear the plant. It could have a disastrous impact to your lawn, by helping fungi and disease spread.
Know how to water your lawn.
Are you a morning person?
Well, during the summer, you should be.
Heavy watering of your lawn one or two times per week is best and preferably early morning.
Keep a watering schedule part of your summer lawn care plan to avoid watering too frequently.
Water thoroughly in the morning and avoid evenings if you can.
Why?
Evening watering leaves grass blades wet all night. And that’s bad. It can create many detrimental effects on your lawn.
During the evening, water continues to rest on the entire plant’s ecosystem.
What does it mean?
It means that if water remains on the plant or near the roots for too long, it will cause the lawn to rot, develop diseases, and attract insects.
When that happens, people usually try to cure the problem caused by adding more pesticides and more fertilizer, which creates more imbalances.
So, the bottom line is that watering in the evenings is bad. Just as overwatering your lawn can be bad.
Indeed, a question we often get is what to do if rainfall is expected?
It is important that you check the weather forecast regularly and try to understand if rainfall is expected and what it will be like.
If heavy rains are expected, do not water your lawn. It would be an overkill.
In case the rainfall is light or just a sprinkle, remember that this might not be enough for your lawn. Hence, you should stick to your summer lawn care watering plan.
Assess your lawn density and soil compaction
Always check your soil compaction.
The easiest way to do it is to use a stick or screwdriver and check how hard it is to push it through.
If you get a lot of resistance, especially if the weather is dry, this might indicate that you may need to water your lawn more or use a soil enhancer liquid aeration type product.
Soil compaction is a bad thing.
When compaction increases soil density, roots cannot thrive. If the root system cannot develop, your lawn may not be able to survive the summer season.
Compaction is a surface issue. It affects the top of the soil of just a few inches. It is not much, but it can be detrimental to your summer lawn care plan.
The problem of compacted soil is that it does not allow rapid water penetration. It means that you need to water your lawn a lot more to get the water to reach the feeding area of your lawn’s roots. The danger is to water your lawn too much, which leads to other problems as we mentioned earlier.
Verify your soil compaction regularly and do not hesitate to go for core aeration or liquid aeration and add a little seeding if needed as soon as fall weather arrives.
Keep your lawn clean
Let’s be real.
A backyard looking like a junkyard is not ideal for a beautiful lawn. We all know that. But, you do not need to reach the “junkyard” level to impact your lawn negatively.
Therefore, do not leave “stuff” on your lawn.
What does “stuff” mean?
- Tarps
- Trashcans
- Chairs & tables
- Swimming pools & toys
- Tents
Of course, this list is not exhaustive.
Why should you remove all items from your lawn?
Because heat transfers through objects and can burn grass blades, heat can cause stress to your lawn and impact its health.
It’s that simple.
Also, try to avoid too much traffic on your lawn. That’s a tricky part too.
Always try to remember the rule of the 2P’s:
People & Pets.
During summertime, you might ask yourself:
How to avoid having kids running on your lawn or pets playing or sleeping on it if not worse?
That might simply be one of the mysteries of the universe or the Holy Grail of summer lawn care. Realistically, try to manage human and pet traffic to the best of your ability and offer periods of rest to your lawn to let it heal.
Therefore, ask people to use walkways, try to host parties on your deck, and get the dog off your turf.
And what now?
Summer lawn care is about a few things to know and observations to make.
It’s not rocket science, but there is some work involved to remain consistent and agile to adjust your plan.
Therefore, try to keep a summer lawn care plan during the summer months to help you out. Here’s a summary of what you should keep in mind:
- Verify the mowing height of your mowing machine.
- Check the blades of your mowing machine and sharpen them when needed.
- Remember to be consistent with the watering time and frequency of your lawn.
- Check the weather forecast for rainfall.
- Observe and measure the rainfall and adjust your watering plan.
- Reduce people and pet traffic on your lawn.
- Keep your lawn area clean of any objects.
Are you ready to implement a great summer lawn care plan this year?