Caring For Your Lawn As Temperatures Rise

Caring For Your Lawn As Temperatures Rise

When the temperatures start to rise, you want to take care of your lawn. Unfortunately, extreme heat and low water amounts can stress out your grass. However, protecting your green spaces is pretty simple with a few steps. Here are a couple of ways to keep your lawn safe throughout the summer.

Know Your Water Amounts

Your lawn needs a delicate balance between under-watering and over-watering. It is your responsibility to make sure your grass gets the right amount of moisture. You might want to invest in a rain gauge. With this inexpensive tool, you can measure the natural rainfall. For the most part, your grass will require about 1 inch of rain per week under normal conditions. If your area is experiencing drought or extreme heat, you might want to boost those requirements to 2 to 3 inches of water.

Water Early

You might think that you can water at any time of the day. However, if you want your grass to look great throughout the summer, the watering time is essential. An evening watering provides ample opportunities for fungi and mold to spread across your lawn. When moisture lingers on the surface without any evaporation from the sun, it can lead to severe problems for your yard, including brown spots.

Want to water during the midday? Some people believe that water can scorch the leaves, but that is not true. Instead, those high temperatures will evaporate the water before it has time to penetrate the ground. When you water in the morning, your lawn will get a deep drink of water before the sun comes out to evaporate all that leftover moisture. Make sure to allow your grass to have a deep, infrequent drink of water during the morning to give the moisture a chance to be absorbed by the roots.

Provide a Deep Watering

When you provide your grass with a deep soak, the moisture will reach down 6 to 8 inches below the surface soil. At that point, the roots will begin to absorb the moisture. If you only give your grass a surface watering, the grass roots will start to grow up towards the surface. As you can tell, that will cause permanent damage to your lawn. Along with that, deep watering will also reduce your need for more frequent waterings throughout the week. You could save yourself some time and allow a commercial lawn care service to handle your lawn’s watering needs.

Give Your Lawn Some Air

When it is hot outside, you need to provide your grass with some ventilation. When air is allowed to flow around the blades, the grass can transpire. Transpiration is the equivalent of precipitation, and it is part of the plants’ natural cooling system. If you don’t allow your grass to breathe, it can cook in the hot sun. For that reason, you want to remove paddling pools, picnic rugs, and toys from the lawn. If these items are left on the grass, it can disrupt that natural cooling system.

You might also want to change your walking paths across your lawn. With a repeated path, you can create bare patches in your yard. You should also think about switching out the position of your tables and chairs to promote better airflow throughout your lawn.

Change Your Mowing Schedule

When the temperatures start to rise, you need to change up your mowing habits. First, you want to avoid mowing during extreme heat. During droughts or heat, your grass cannot recover from mowing, and it is more susceptible to additional damage. You might want to cut the grass after you have irrigated it. If there has been recent rainfall, the next day is a great time to cut the grass. It is never a great idea to mow when the sun is out in full force. A freshly cut grass will sustain damage from the bright sunshine. You can grab the mower in the morning or late evening. With a cooled-down lawn, you can prevent those brown spots from forming in your yard.

You also want to avoid cutting the grass too low to the ground. It is important to never mow more than one-third of the grass at a time. When you keep your grass higher, the roots will start to extend deeper into the ground. With that length, the grass keeps weeds from competing with it for nutrients and water. A thicker turf will also become denser and require less water from you. If you are looking for an ideal height, make sure to keep the grass at about 4 inches during the summer.

Finally, the mower blades make a difference in the health of your grass. You always want a sharp edge, especially during those summer months. When you cut with a dull blade, the grass can start to fray. With that, frayed grass is more likely to develop brown spots.

Add More Mulch

Mulch can help with the health of your grass. You don’t need to add bags of mulch to your grass, but you might want to use a mulching mower. When the blades mulch the grass clippings, they will settle into the ground to keep the grass cooler and hydrated. However, a mulching mower can provide benefits throughout the year, but it is almost necessary to protect your lawn during the summer heat.

To Fertilize or Not?

Depending on the type of grass on your lawn, you could skip fertilizing during that time. If you notice your yard is having issues, you might want to have the soil tested. In some cases, the grass could have deficiencies. For those lawns that need fertilization, consider adding organic or time-released fertilizer to avoid scorching your grass.

Need Commercial Lawn Care Services?

At Charlestown Landscaping LLC, we can take care of your lawn during those hot summers. Our team will water your grass at the optimal time and cut the lawn down to the appropriate height. If you would like to schedule a consultation, please call us at (610) 608-3965.

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