Our lawns can suffer from heat and drought. Most of the lawns in this area are cool season grasses like tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass, which can be allowed to go dormant during dry periods if the turf is mature.You can also choose to water your lawn to maintain it’s fresh, green color using the guidelines below.
- New or establishing lawns do not have the ability to survive dry periods. Apply supplemental water following the guidelines below.
- Mature lawns can be allowed to go dormant. If your dormant turf doesn’t spring back after you walk across it, it’s time to start watering.
When watering your lawn:
- Water turf deeply and infrequently to encourage deep roots in the soil.
- Morning is the best time to water.
- Apply 1″ of water a week, spread over 2-3 waterings.
- Set mower height at 4″+ to promote deeper roots and help grass compete against weeds.
Here are other things you can do to help your lawn in the summertime.
- Grub control – Controls early larval stage of grubs, keeping them from degrading turf root systems. Because moles and voles seek out grubs in turf, this application also reduces the damage they cause. More mature stages of this pest that are present can be controlled with other products.
- Summer pruning – Continue to shape shrubs to keep them neat and healthy through the summer.
- Weed control – It’s easier to pull and dispose of weeds when they are small, so scout your beds every 7-10 days to keep on top of this task. In larger areas you can use scuffle hoes to make this job quicker.
- Deer repellent – A topical and foliar spray to prevent deer, as well as some other small animals, from damaging plants throughout your landscape.
- Pests and Diseases – Application of a foliar spray to prevent common pests and fungal diseases on ornamental trees and shrubs in the landscape, keeping them healthy and beautiful. (See article below for more info)
- Round 3 Turf application – Application of organic fertilizer adds nutrients to help strengthen turf and maintain a healthy green color into summer months. If you maintain your own lawn, you can follow this program, but it’s a good idea to get your soil tested to see how much fertilizer you need before applying it.
- Mowing – During dry periods, we raise the heights of our mower decks to 4″+ to promote deeper roots which helps the grass survive the reduced rainfall and gives turf an advantage over weeds. Turf grows more slowly during these times, so it may not need mowing as often. (See more tips below)
