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Summer Lawn Care

Summer is here and your lawn may be looking a little bit crispy or have a few bare patches from higher foot traffic. To maintain a healthy lawn you need to adjust your lawn care depending on the season; so here are some care tips to help you care for your lawn this summer and keep it looking green and healthy. 

Some grass types are naturally brown in the summer. Cool-season grasses such as fescues and bluegrass go dormant in the heat of the summer and will naturally look browner. They will green up on their own once the warm season and summer heat come to an end. 

When it comes to mowing in the summer you’ll want to adjust the mower blade to mow high. A taller grass blade offers more shade to the roots helping to keep them cool in the heat. Taller grass also grows deeper roots, aiding in an overall more healthy lawn. You may want to leave your grass clippings on the lawn to help return nitrogen to the soil as well as helping to retain moisture in the ground. 

Your watering schedule should water deeply once or twice a week rather than shallowly every day. One and a half inches of water per week is an ideal amount. If you’ve got rainy weather adjust your schedule accordingly. The early morning hours are the best time to water your lawn so that the water has time to evaporate during the day to avoid developing fungal diseases. 

Your lawn should be fertilized every 6 weeks during the active season with a slow-release fertilizer, whether or not you also use a weed control or grub control brand. This will help to keep your lawn green all summer long. Do this before the real heat sets in and then after it leaves. If grubs are usually a major issue in your lawn you can apply a separate grub control during midsummer when grubs typically emerge. You should only do this if you have severe lawn damage. You want to add as little to the lawn as possible to keep it in good condition. Too much fertilizer or insecticide can harm your lawn, so be sparing in all applications. 

Finally, before it’s very hot out (as well as in the fall), you can take the opportunity to overseed your lawn with grass seed. Try using a warm-season grass that tolerates heat better when overseeding. This will help your lawn to grow thicker and fill in any bare spots that may have developed over time either from traffic or pets.