By Allan Du
During the peak summer months, the hot weather can be stressful on the lawn grass. And the lawn will be more sensitive to other sources of stress as well.
You might be tempted to throw on the fertilizer, hoping that will reverse the browning grass.
Although this might seem like a good idea, it might actually make things worse. Especially if you use a chemical fertilizer.
When the weather is hot and dry, plants are more vulnerable to heat stress, resulting in wilted, brown, burnt grass blades.
And while some fertilizer might seem like a good idea, because inorganic fertilizers contain salts, applying the fertilizers to heat and drought stressed plants can result in damage to the roots and also burn your grasses. Under the hot summer sun, the likelihood of this happening increases.
During the peak summer months, grasses slow down their growth as well as their uptake of nutrients. Resulting in little improvements even with organic fertilizers.
No matter if you’re growing warm season or cool season grasses, the best time to fertilize is during the spring or fall. This is because this is when the grass is growing most actively and will be able to absorb the most amount of nutrients into the roots.
Keep on top of weeds in the lawn to keep them from getting out of control. During the hottest periods of the year, your grass will slow down it’s growth substantially. If it’s dry enough, the grass might even go dormant, resulting in little to no growth.
During these periods of little to no growth, you can use the time you would have otherwise used to mow the lawn, to tackle any noticeable weeds popping up in the lawn.
You can remove large weeds by hand with a small shovel or a weed pulling tool. However, if you are dealing with a large number of small weeds spreading throughout the lawn, you might want to consider using a low toxicity broad-leaf herbicide, which targets weeds, without hurting your grass.
One of the most important parts of summer lawn care is water management.
During the hottest, driest times of the year, water becomes more scarce, making the proper management of its use a crucial part to taking care of your lawn.
Avoid watering during the hottest periods of the day. The heat from the summer sun causes water to evaporate, meaning that if you water your lawn during the hottest times of day, alot of the water you're using won’t be able to be absorbed by the grass because the sun will cause it to evaporate into the air.
The ideal time to water grass is in the early morning between around 4-5 a.m to around 9-10 a.m.
This will give the water enough time to seep into the soil without being exposed to the hot sun and evaporating away.
To make sure your grass does as well as possible during the hot summer months, you need to maximize your usage of water. Especially if you live in a city with water use restrictions.
Instead of frequent shallow waterings, water your lawn deeply. Deeper waterings will reach the roots lower in the soil, which is protected from the hot sun, and can retain water for longer periods of time than the surface soil roots.
Many people neglect their lawn mower blades. A dull blade doesn’t only result in a less even cut. But a dull blade can result in excessive damage to grass blades, because instead of cutting the grass cleanly, the blades tear through the grass resulting in damage to the grass stems.
This damage can affect the health of your grass lawn and make it more susceptible to stress and turning brown. Keep your blades sharp for healthier grass.
Letting the grass grow a little bit longer during the driest periods of peak summer heat has several benefits.
Taller grass blades helps the roots to grow deeper into the soil, allowing for better water retention. This means that the grass will be able to absorb more water for longer periods of time without a mow.
Longer grass also can help shade the soil from the intense direct rays of the sun, keeping the soil cooler, allowing for better water retention, and reducing your lawn’s water demands.
Aerating reduces soil compaction, and improves the grass roots access to air, water and nutrients. It also improves drainage and water retention, allowing your soil to retain more water during hot summer days.
Core aerators (where plugs of soil are pulled out of the lawn and left over top the lawn) are the most effective form of aerators.
By following these expert summer lawn care tips, you'll increase your chances of maintaining a vibrant and resilient lawn throughout even the hottest months. And leaving you with an outdoor haven to enjoy all summer long.
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