Julie Henne Keeping your lawn healthy all year can be challenging, especially in the summer when the heat makes it difficult to keep your lawn adequately watered. It’s possible to get a healthy and lush lawn during the summer with the right equipment rental and some lawn care basics.
Let’s take a look at five tips for a picture-perfect lawn this summer.
Mow High
One of the keys to having a great lawn is mowing properly. It’s best to mow the grass at a higher length to encourage root growth deeper into the soil. Deeper roots allow the grass to access water below the ground and increase heat tolerance. It also provides shade to reduce weed germination. It’s very important to have sharp mower blades, and the right equipment rental can help you achieve that if your mower is old and needs to be replaced. Sharp blades give the grass a clean cut, which reduces the risk of moisture loss.
Water At the Right Time and Amount
You might think that any time is a good time to dump water on your grass as long as you do it regularly. However, the truth is that the healthiest lawn benefits most from deep and infrequent watering. As long as your area isn’t experiencing drought conditions, you should water a few times per week between the hours of 6 AM and 10 AM. It’s also important that the water reaches 4-6 inches down. If you’re not sure of the water level in your soil, push a screwdriver in about 6 inches. If it goes in easily, you probably need to water less. If you meet significant resistance, you need to water more.
Fertilize Correctly
If you have warm-season grass, then it’s a good idea to fertilize it in the early summer to give it a boost. This can make your grass more heat tolerant. If you have cool-season grass, you don’t want to fertilize it in the summer. It’s best to fertilize cool-season grass in the spring and fall. Fertilizing too often or too much can burn your lawn and stress your grass during the hottest time of the year.
Aerate and/or Overseed
Another handy equipment rental for your lawn could be a core aerator. You can use this to break up compacted soil by pulling up the plugs or cores of soil. This creates air vents, allowing the grassroots more access to air, water, and nutrients. Similarly, you might consider some overseeding to restore bare or thinning patches.
Grasscycling
If you mow your grass at the proper height, you can grasscycle by letting the clippings stay on the lawn. The clippings will break down and feed your lawn without any additional work from you. Grass clippings contain nutrients, moisture, and they decompose quickly. You won’t need as much fertilizer and you can reduce your watering as well when you grasscycle every time you mow.
Keeping your lawn in great shape all summer doesn’t require a ton of work. It only requires some forethought, the right equipment rental, and some efficiency in watering and feeding.
This post may contain affiliate links. Meaning a commission is given should you decide to make a purchase through these links, at no cost to you. All products shown are researched and tested to give an accurate review for you.
