Summertime is when homeowners want their lawns looking their best. Unfortunately, it’s also a difficult time for grass. Increased foot traffic from kids and pets can promote wear and tear. Hot temperatures and low rainfall can lead to browning and diminished health.
Warm weather can also promote fungus and insect infestations. While dry hot weather may be an inevitability, a brown, lackluster lawn doesn’t have to be. Here are some helpful tips for keeping your grass green all summer long.
Plant the Right Grass
There are many different kinds of grass. Cool-season varieties do better in northern latitudes. On the other hand, hot-season grasses flourish in the warmer south.
Hot-season grasses and cool-season grasses have varying life cycles. The main growing stints for hot-season grasses occur in the heat of summer, while cool-season grasses grow most during the spring and fall. To ensure a healthy, green lawn, choose a grass that’s best for your climate. If you plant the wrong kind of grass for your region, it will be harder to keep it green in the summer. Be sure to read our blog on how to plant grass in Colorado to learn which grass is best for the Centennial state.
Water Deeply and Less Often
Watering your lawn is important, but frequent watering won’t necessarily promote the healthiest lawn. If you water your lawn too often, it will never need to grow deep roots in search of low-lying moisture. When it is watered often, grass tends to develop shallow root systems that don’t promote good health when conditions become hot and dry.
To promote deep, healthy root growth, you should deeply water your grass once or twice a week. That way, when the hot summer arrives, your lawn will be hardier. This sort of watering schedule can be difficult to remember, so consider installing a sprinkler controller to do the job for you.
Water Earlier in the Day
It’s generally best to water your grass very early in the morning. If you wait too late, any water that doesn’t penetrate the soil will evaporate. At the same time, it’s generally not a great idea to water at night, since this can promote wet conditions that are perfect breeding grounds for fungal infections.
Ideally, you want your grass roots to get wet without leaving the blades saturated with moisture for hours at a time. Again, a quality timed sprinkler controller is the best way to ensure that your lawn stays wet at the best possible times.
Mow High
It’s important to remember that a lawn is composed of countless tiny plants. If you mow them too short, you will damage or even kill some of them. To keep your lawn green all summer long, never cut it lower than 3 to 3½ inches in height. This will keep the grass healthy and provide more cooling shade for the delicate root system.
Service Your Mower
Whether you use a self-propelled lawnmower, riding mower or cordless electric model, it’s very important to keep it well maintained. Why would a poorly serviced lawnmower negatively impact your lawn? Blunt blades can tear grass instead of cutting it, damaging the plants and leaving them more vulnerable during the summer.
Fertilize
Your grass needs regular feeding to remain green during the harsh summer months. But what you do in the fall can determine grass health during the summer. Most landscaping experts recommend feeding your grass about every six to eight weeks. At bare minimum, you should fertilize once in the fall and once in the spring.
Sometimes, however, over-fertilizing can cause the grass to begin growing way too high, way too fast. You can combat this by choosing a fertilizer that contains less nitrogen.
Limit Foot Traffic
When grass is regularly trampled or used for sports, it can quickly turn brown. If you typically play or walk on your lawn, consider limiting this activity during the harsh, dry summer months.
When it comes to keeping your lawn healthy and green, it can help to have input from experts. Whether you need new, hot-weather grass, an automated irrigation system or a full-scale landscaping renovation, RMPS Landscaping is ready to help. We offer diverse services that help make your grass look lush, green and full all summer long.
At RMPS, we also offer other landscaping services, from stonework to plants, hardscaping, sod, trees and whole-scale landscape renovations. Contact our experts to learn how we can help turn your boldest vision into reality.
