Summertime and the livin’ should be easy…
Lawns provide a beautiful and cool place to play and enjoy.
Photo Credit: Donna W. Moramarco
Water thoroughly and deeply for a healthy lawn.
Photo Credit: Donna W. Moramarco
Hot weather may slow down grass growth, but there’s still work to be done – watering, mowing, weed-killing, fertilizing… The truth: If you live in the Northeast or Mid-Atlantic, it’ll be months before you can officially store the lawn mower for winter. Bah!
So what needs to be done to our grass in summer and early fall? Good question!
As temperatures climb, cool-season grasses like Kentucky bluegrass and ryegrass slow down. In some cases, you may not need to mow every five to seven days like you did in spring. But that doesn’t mean no mowing in summer at all! Keep that mower blade sharp and set at 2½-3 inches.
As for using herbicides (AKA weed killers) in summer, here’s a little advice: It’s best to not use such products during the heat of the day (temperatures should be below 85 degrees F). Also, avoid spraying chemicals on windy days to prevent the product from drifting away. If small patches of weeds are a problem, spot-treat with a recommended weed killer as needed. (As with any chemical, be sure to carefully read and follow all instructions printed on the label!)
When it comes to fertilizer use, I may not be popular in some camps for saying this: After you fertilize the lawn on Memorial Day, generally no additional applications of fertilizer are needed until Labor Day. (Consider that “no fertilizing break” your summer vacation!)
Keeping a lawn lush and green through summer is tough, and the trickiest part of summer lawn care is watering! Summer lawns simply need water to survive, and this is even more critical during periods of drought.
If Mother Nature fails to come through with adequate rainfall, it’s up to you to apply 1-1½ inches of water per week – preferably in one application and not broken down into short sprinklings each day. Long, thorough watering encourages deep root systems, which helps lawns thrive. Wise gardeners water early in the day, when possible, to allow grass to dry before evening. (Is it an old wives’ tale that watering at nightfall causes disease? No! There is research-proven truth in that tale!)
When all else fails (and despite our best efforts), some lawns just don’t make it after a rough summer. If you’ve lost small patches of your lawn by mid- to late August, your best bet is to just rake those sections out and reseed immediately. If more than 50 percent of your lawn has died, consider a total renovation using a nonselective herbicide to kill existing turf. Within seven to 10 days of using the product, your lawn can be prepared for seed or sod.
Good gardeners know that cooler temperatures and adequate rainfall – typical of Northeast autumns – is an ideal time to “create” a new lawn. No patience for seeding? Hey, there’s always sod – the instant lawn!
