In the springtime it’s such a joy to watch the flowers open up, the trees begin to bloom, and our ugly, dead lawns turn green after a cold winter. The feeling of satisfaction when one gets after mowing long stripes on their grass is incomparable. Similarly, the smell of a freshly mowed lawn is the epitome of summer.
That’s why, when the days begin to get longer, and the sun feels hotter, it’s important to be aware of your yard. The lack of rain during the summer months combined with the warm sunny rays can easily cause a stressed lawn. Following are some tips to keep your yard happy, healthy, and green throughout summer and well into fall:
Water
Grass requires water of some sort, and this is the most crucial step to maintaining a green lawn through summer. Water your lawn in the late evening or early morning to reduce the amount that evaporated. A good rule is letting your yard get two inches of water per week during hot, dry weather. You can calculate this by setting containers in your yard to catch water from your sprinkler and measuring the amount of water and multiplying the average depth by three to find how many inches you’re watering per hour.
Cut High
Most grass thrives at the height of three inches or taller. Setting your lawn mower blades at the highest setting can help keep your yard green by allowing taller grass to shade young, tender plants, from the sun. For a more even looking yard throughout summer try to mow in an opposite direction then you did last time you mowed.
Keep Your Blades Sharp
To discourage ragged brown tips on your lawns grass, sharpen your blades. A general rule to follow to keep your blades sharp and grass flat and even is to sharpen after ten hours of mowing. This will create a cleaner cut on your grass with less brown, dry ends, making your lawn look less than suitable.
Fertilize Your Lawn
Fertilizing your lawn allows it to get the essential nutrients that it needs to stay green and lush. Fertilize once a year, preferably in the late fall when cooler weather helps promote root growth. You can rent a fertilizer spreader from most tool rental companies for optimum spreading. Try to get a fertilizer that will allow one pound of nitrogen over every one thousand square feet of lawn for best results. To reach all areas of your yard, you may want to put on gloves and hand spread the fertilizer in tight spaces such as flower beds, and corners.
Using these techniques should help keep the dead, brittle grass away comes summer months. If your lawn still seems to be turning brown, you may consider allowing it to go dormant until the weather cools off again.
