The summer season can be tough on a lawn. The heat can wreak havoc with newly sprouted blades and can easily ruin the hard work put in to get them growing and strong. There are ways to protect your lawn from the ravages of extreme heat and drought. With the right plan in place, you can help your grass weather the extremes that have become the norm.
Water early and infrequently
Water can act like a magnifier and further scorch blades of grass when the sun is at its peak. To avoid this effect, it is best to water your lawn before the sun rises. You also want to avoid watering too frequently since constantly wet grass roots are more susceptible to disease. The best thing to do is to water deeply enough for the roots to get wet and to rewater only when your lawn has completely dried out.
Don’t cut too short
Taller grass is more resilient than shorter grass. Longer grass is able to absorb more nutrients and grows stronger roots. A rule of thumb is to only take off about ⅓ of the length of the blades. This will help your lawn remain strong. And, make sure that your mower blades are sharp! Dull blades will damage your lawn, making it more susceptible to heat and damage.
Avoid cutting during a drought
Mowing your lawn when it is overly dry can result in clumps being removed. Plus, grass is not as resilient so stressing it when there is a lack of water can damage it. Instead, either cut it just after you have water it or after it has rained.
Use clippings
Instead of throwing away your grass clippings, spread them out across your lawn – they can act like a shield against the heat and also as a fertilizer as they decompose.
Lastly, to protect your lawn during extreme conditions, try to limit the amount of traffic on it. If you can’t avoid walking on it, try putting down a footpath or stepping stones that will prevent people from just walking directly on the grass. When grass is stressed it isn’t able to spring back up as quickly and can quickly die out.
Protecting your lawn requires care, but with just a little effort, it can make it through the hottest weeks in the summer in all its green glory.
