Keep Your Lawn Healthy This Summer: Essential Lawn Care Tips

• Posted on 31 July 2024
• By Meg Petz
• 0

Summer heat can easily damage your lawn if you don’t take proper care of it. Maintaining a lawn care routine ensures that you have a healthy, lush lawn all season long.

However, don’t panic if your lawn goes dormant and turns brown! Here in Saskatchewan our lawn are typical cool season grasses. Cool season grasses can go dormant as the temperature rises, and that can last up to 3-4 weeks in. Continuing to follow sound lawn care tips to help your lawn bounce back when the weather becomes cooler again.  

Here are some tips to make sure your lawn is well taken care of this summer:

Mowing

• Mow High: Keep your grass long to help develop deeper roots that are better at seeking water underground. Longer grass also helps to shade the soil, meaning you need to water less.
• Sharpen Your Mower Blades: Ensure a clean cut by sharpening your mower blades. Dull blades cause your grass to fray and lose water, which can stress your lawn.

Watering

• Water Deeply and Infrequently: Moisture stress can lead to wilted grass, reduced shoot and root growth, and make your lawn more susceptible to weeds. Water should reach 4-6 inches deep.
• Screwdriver Test: If you haven’t heard of the screwdriver test, it’s when you take a screwdriver and push it into the lawn’s soil to check if it needs more or less watering. If there’s resistance when pushing down a screwdriver, you need to water more. If it pushes down too easily, you need to water less.
• Water During Cooler Hours: Water between the cooler hours of the morning. Watering when it’s hot will cause the water to evaporate quickly, not giving it time to soak in and stressing out your lawn.

Seeding

• Optimal Seeding Times: The best times to seed your grass are early spring or early fall for cool-season grasses. This helps ensure strong growth and resilience.

Fertilizing

• Feed As Needed: Feed your grass as needed to promote a healthy lawn. Be cautious not to burn your heat-stressed grass – check with your lawn professionals.
• Promote Strong Growth: Feeding helps grow stronger grass and deeper roots, aiding in stress recovery.

Pests

• Watch for Pests: Pests can eat away at grass roots, causing problems and resulting in dead patches in late summer. Regular inspection and appropriate treatment can help keep your lawn pest-free.

By following these essential tips, you can ensure you maintain a healthy lawn throughout the summer. Remember, a well-maintained lawn not only looks great but also provides a cool, comfortable space for outdoor activities. Stay diligent with your lawn care routine, and enjoy the beauty of your yard all season long!