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How to Protect Your Turf From The Scorching Summer Sun Keeping a lawn healthy under the scorching summer sun can become a challenge. Adjusting your lawn care is important when the temperatures and longer days of sunshine rise. There are; however methods anyone can follow to keep the grass healthy and green until the temperatures cool down.
Keep Mower Blades Sharp If the blades on a mower are not sharp it will fray the grass. When grass becomes frayed it is more likely to turn brown. Keep the mower blades sharp to attain a nice clean cut.
Let the Grass Grow Longer Roots from grass extend deeper into the ground if it not cut short. When the roots extend it will also help to keep weeds from growing and competing for water. Longer grass will also become denser and require less watering. A grass length of about four inches is recommended for hot summer days.
Less Cutting Mowing less frequently and doing it early in the day is better for grass when it is hot. If morning time is not an option, doing it in the early evening when it starts to cool down would also be a good alternative. When cutting during a cooler time it will reduce brown spots and protect the fresh cut grass from the hot sun.
Replace The Bagger With A Mulcher When mulched grass settles on a lawn it keeps the moisture trapped. This trapped moisture will provide the lawn with better hydration and keep it cooler. Mulched grass will actually benefit a lawn all year, but especially when it is hot.
Skip the Fertilizer Most grasses do not need to be fertilized when it is hot. Fertilizer can “burn� the grass. Fertilizer kills the microbes that grass needs. If the lawn is in trouble it would be best to have a soil test completed to make sure there are no deficiencies. If fertilizing is the only solution then an organic product with a time release formula would be the best option. Read the label on the fertilizer chosen as some are only recommended during certain times of the year.
How To Water When It Is Hot To keep a lawn healthy takes about an inch of water per week. Choosing the time of day for watering is important. There are a lot of stories about not watering when it is hot as it will “burn� the grass. It is not the temperature that causes the damage during this time; it is the amount of water used. If not enough water is given it will evaporate quickly. When watering during a hot time of day it is important to give adequate water to soak down to the roots of the grass. Shallow watering causes the roots to come much closer to the surface where they are exposed to the heat. Watering in the cool morning hours is the best option as there is little evaporation concerns during that time.
Keith Kitchen Owner at Commonwealth Sports Turf Services Growing up on a working farm that feeds your family gave Keith an appreciation for the importance of planning for growth. It was corn and peanuts then, now it sports turf. After graduating from Virginia Tech with a Bachelors of Science in Agricultural Economics and spending 5 years with Southern States, Keith partnered into a new business venture overseeing natural turf maintenance for Luxury Lawns, a startup maintenance company. Continued growth over 20 years has placed Luxury Lawns, a company Keith now owns, in the top small businesses in the Midlothian area specializing in residential turf management, landscape design and installation, and hardscape applications. After success in the residential turf market, Keith launched Commonwealth Sports Turf and now manages the day to day operations of the business.