Help your lawn beat the heat this summer by following proper lawn maintenance.
Lawn maintenance during hot and dry weather is essential for green, lush, healthy grass. While grass can tolerate a little heat, it will dry up and turn an unsightly brown if left unchecked for too long. Practice proper lawn care all summer long to keep your front yard looking the best in the neighborhood.
Create a Watering Schedule
One way to practice lawn maintenance is to set up a consistent watering schedule. However, overwatering is not the answer. A good rule of thumb to keep in mind is that turf grasses will do better on the dryer side. Avoid getting them soaking wet.
When setting your watering schedule, water deeply to ensure the grass becomes wet down to the root. If you consider rainfall in your area, your lawn will only need about an inch of water per week, (and that includes rainfall).
With that said, create a weekly watering schedule that automatically drenches your lawn on the same day every week. If it happens to rain heavily, skip watering for the week.
Pros & Cons of Irrigation Systems
Lawn irrigation systems can take the guesswork out of keeping your grass green and healthy through those hot, summer months. While some people swear by irrigation systems, others denounce them.
The advantages of using lawn irrigation systems are time savings, grass health, and focused watering. On the other hand, disadvantages of a yard irrigation system include performing system maintenance, working on repairs, and dealing with the potential for underground pests.
Use the One-Third Rule
Cutting your lawn when the weather is hot and dry is a delicate process. If your location is going through a drought period, avoid moving the grass altogether since this will cause your grass to stress, limiting its ability to bounce back from damage.
Use the rule of one-third if you are not experiencing a drought and your grass is growing too tall. The one-third rule means never removing more than a third of the grass’s height. By leaving that buffer room, you are allowing the underlying plant tissue to stay cooler and healthier.