Summer Lawn Maintenance Tips
With summer here, people itch to partake in fun summer activities like going to the pool, or having barbecues. It is not all fun and games however. According to the Chicago Tribune, “The average American spends about 70 hours a year on lawn and garden care”. While we realize this number may seem awfully high, there are a few things you can do to help maintain a healthier lawn that will save you time in the long run. These summer lawn maintenance tips will give you back your time to enjoy the summer!
Keep Sharp Mower Blades
First off, this one should probably come as no surprise. Keeping sharp mower blades make mowing your lawn a million times easier. I mean just think about it, we’re even recommended to keep sharp razor blades for shaving so why would it be any different for grass? Yes this makes the job easier but it actually has a bigger significance. Dull blades will give your grass an uneven cut AND it will give entryways that make it easier for disease carrying organisms to enter. To avoid this, you want to keep a few extra blades handy and make sure you either replace or sharpen your mower blades after every 10 hours of work.
Cut at the Right Height
Probably one of the most common and major mistakes that people make with their lawn maintenance is OVER mowing their lawn. It can be easy to justify cutting your grass short so you don’t have to mow your lawn as often however, it causes more harm than good. It is actually best to leave grass at its tallest recommended height so that it can shade the soil which will then reduce water evaporation. Then it will lead to deeper roots and prevent weed seeds from germinating.
Research Your Fertilizers
As with any other product you buy always DO YOUR RESEARCH. Different fertilizers have different effects on your yard depending on the season and type of grass you have. Adding fertilizer can be a quick and easy fix to adding more nutrients to your yard, but too much fertilizer may cause damage. You also want to remember to use the right season fertilizer, they can make quiet the difference. Warm-season turf grows strongly during summer and needs nutrients.
Water Properly
Watering your lawn can be tricky if you don’t know how much water your lawn needs. As a rule of thumb, you want to make sure you water long enough to allow water to sink six inches deep. Watering deep will allow you to water less frequently. What time of day do you usually water your lawn, in the morning or in the evening? Experts say that watering in the morning is more beneficial because this way, your lawn isn’t too damp for too much time AND moisture will be retained a little longer as opposed to evaporating immediately. When you leave your grass wet overnight, you may be exposing your lawn to fungal disease growth.
Keep a Clean Yard
After fun summer activities it’s easy to forget toys and other gadgets in the yard. Remember to keep your lawn clear of any items that may damage your grass by picking up after you’re done! Even pet feces can be harmful and smelly so make sure to pick up after your pet goes potty.
As you can see, it takes more than just mowing your lawn regularly to ensure a beautiful yard. We hope we were able to give you insight with this information. It takes a lot of time and trial and error but with the right resources, you should have your summer lawn maintenance routine on lock down and a nice summer lawn in no time.
