Are you struggling to keep your lawn fresh and healthy during the summer season? We will guide you on how you can take care of your lawn during summertime.
Mow the grass high
This encourages strong root growth and heat tolerance in the grass. Taller grass provides more shade, keeping weeds from growing and competing with your grass. Use a sharp mowing blade to get a clean-cut. Set your blades higher in the early summer days, and choose your height according to grass type. Warm-season grass should be mowed 2-3 inches tall, while cool-season grass should be cut at 3-4 inches. You can leave cuttings on the lawn as they will decompose and help feed your grass.
Fertilise the summer season grass
Lawn fertilisation during the early summertime can help grow warm-season grass, best at about 21°C. This will make your grass more heat and drought-resistant. Refrain from using too much, or you’ll end up burning your lawn. If you have cool-season grass on your lawn, do not fertilise in the summer months.
Beware of insects
Insects tend to feed on the grass during summer, but not all of them will hurt your lawn. Certain insects will eat your grass, potentially causing bare patches in the lawn. Get rid of them as soon as possible by treating the grass, while also avoiding damage to the lawn.
Get rid of weeds
Try getting rid of established weeds before they can bloom and spread seeds. Eliminate weeds by using a targeted post-emergent herbicide. This will leave your grass unharmed. But keep in mind that even these herbicides may hurt your grass, so use them cautiously. If you’re able to do weeding by hand, consider trying that route first.
Water deeply and infrequently
Dry, hot mid-summer weather can deplete your soil moisture. Loss of moisture can lead to wilted grass blades, decreased shoot and root growth, and greater sensitivity to pests and weeds. To get rid of this, water your lawn thoroughly about once or twice a week. Make sure the water reaches 4 to 6 inches deep. If you’re unsure, one method is to mark inches on a screwdriver and push it into your soil. If you feel a lot of resistance, you need to water more. If it slides in too easily, you need to water less. Water your lawn early in the morning, before sunrise if you can. That’ll keep the sun from taking away the moisture before your lawn can soak it up. Do a weather forecast check as you might not want to water too much on days when it will rain.
Aerate your lawn
During the late summertime, you should continue the adequate watering and mowing practices you’ve put into place. That should be enough, but if you want to get a jumpstart in fall, you may consider aeration and overseeding. This isn’t necessary, but if you want you can use a core aerator to work with the compacted soil. The best way to do it is renting a core aerator, which pulls up plugs or “cores” of soil from the ground, creating air vents that let your grassroots’ access air, nutrients, and water. This will provide your lawn with extra hardiness, helping it to withstand stressors.
Overseed your grass if required
If you notice a lot of bare patches or thinning grass in your lawn, restore it to its former beauty with overseeding. By sowing additional seed over existing grass, overseeding will thicken your grass and make your lawn look more impressive.
Professional Lawn Care
Lawn care might seem a bit intimidating, but if you follow the above steps regularly, you can easily maintain your lawn. If you find it difficult to keep a track of what to do for your lawn during the summer months, or simply for some expert help and guidance it is better to work with a professional lawn care company.
Express Mowing offers professional lawn care and lawn mowing services in Australia, with expert help and advice whenever you need it. Connect with our specialist team today.
