How to Care For Your Lawn in the Summer Heat

It’s been a brutal few weeks and the first day of summer was only a week ago. While you can head indoors to take refuge in a cool air-conditioned room, your lawn has to stay outside in the direct sunlight. If you want to maintain a strong and healthy lawn throughout the summer, here are some tips you should follow.

Water your lawn in the morning or night

Just like how you need water to be healthy, your lawn requires regular watering to stay strong. Watering your lawn in the cooler times of the day enables the water to better soak into the deeper roots. Your lawn should receive about an inch of water every week from rain or an irrigation system.

Allow the grass to grow longer

Although you might think having nice trim grass is visually appealing, it’s not always the best way to maintain a healthy lawn. As the temperatures begin to rise, allow your grass to grow longer because this will provide shade and keep the roots at a cooler temperature. A good summer length is about three inches tall.

Don’t cut off too much grass at one time

You shouldn’t cut more than a third of the grass at any time, so you should mow the lawn frequently. Also, remember to raise the cutting height of your mower. Mowing off too much could leave your lawn more vulnerable to the heat, and potentially cause trauma to the grass.

Use a reduced fertilizing regimen

Since the summer heat causes high stress for your lawn, it’s important to give it nutrients. Ideally, you would prepare your lawn before the summer and then reduce the amount of fertilization your lawn receives before temperatures soar. However, if your grass is handling the summer poorly and is falling victim to insects, a solid fertilizing regimen is recommended.

Focus on the neediest areas

If a rationing of water is recommended, you should target the neediest areas of the lawn — such as the places where people walk the most. Also, if some of the weaker parts of the lawn begin to show signs of faltering, it’s important to give those portions extra attention.