3 Tips For Keeping Your Lawn Green And Healthy During The Hot, Dry Summer Months
As the dog days of summer approach, you may worry that the hot, dry weather will take its toll on your normally lush and fertile lawn. If so, use one or more of the following tips for keeping your lawn green and healthy during the summer months.
Mow Your Grass in the Evening
Although the growth of your lawn tends to slow down when the weather is hot and dry, you will still need to cut it every week to keep it from getting out of control. However, the timing of when you mow your grass can have an impact on its health.
While you may prefer to mow the lawn early in the morning before the sun makes working outside unbearable, this could have a detrimental effect on your grass. After being freshly cut, the grass will not have time to heal itself before the hottest part of the day. The sun will bake the blades, turning patches of your grass brown.
To protect your grass from the heat and give it time to heal, mow your grass in the evening. Your lawn will also be able to absorb any moisture from overnight dew to keep it moist. It will also be primed and ready for watering the next morning, as discussed in the next section.
Water Your Lawn First Thing in the Morning
Once you have started mowing your lawn in the evenings, you should also set aside a time each day to water your lawn. When making this decision, you want to choose a time of day that will provide optimal moisture for your lawn without causing it harm.
While your grass may look parched around noon, resist the temptation to give it some water. Not only will the water evaporate quickly under the heat of the sun, but the direct rays can also scorch the grass.
Also, avoid watering your lawn in the evening. While you may believe this gives the most amount of time for the grass to absorb the moisture, doing so could lead to overwatering.
Overwatering your lawn can be just as harmful as not watering it enough. You may be opening up your lawn to fungi and insect infestations because the excess water is staying on your lawn too long.
Instead, water your lawn first thing in the morning. This time of day gives the grass enough time to absorb the water before the day gets too hot. Also, once the sun starts climbing, its indirect rays slowly evaporate the excess moisture to keep the greenery from attracting bugs and mildew.
Have a Sprinkler System Installed
If you have concerns about overwatering your lawn or not being able to water the grass at the right time of day, you may want to consider having a sprinkler system installed. Because you can set the system on a timer, it will do the work for you.
You can set the system to kick on at first light, as well as adjust the amount of time spent water. So, if you notice that puddles are forming in your yard one day, you can make adjustments to decrease the time the sprinklers are on.
Also, as the time for dawn changes, you can adjust the timer accordingly so you are assured that your lawn is receiving the right amount of water at the correct time of day.
Using the above tips can help you maintain a lush, healthy lawn even on the hottest, driest days of summer. If you would like more information about having a sprinkler system installed, contact a landscaping contractor who can inspect your property and discuss with you available options for automating the watering of your lawn. Click for more info.