Summer lawn care – to fertilize or not to fertilize?
Summertime is a great time to fertilize your grass. Many people wonder if they can fertilize in the summer at all. Here we will discuss the best ways to fertilize your lawn in the summer months and how to keep it looking its best.
Warm season and cool season grass
Warm season grasses begin to grow actively in late spring and fall dormant. On the other hand, cool season grasses start growing earlier (in mid-spring) and stay green later into the fall before falling dormant.
Keep grass long and lush.
To encourage robust root development and heat tolerance, mow the lawn high. Taller grass provides greater shade, preventing weeds from germinating and competing with your grass. Start by sharpening your mower blades. Dull blades will tear and shred your grass rather than giving it a clean cut, allowing moisture to escape more readily. Mower blades typically remain sharp for ten hours of mowing.
Mow higher
Set your blades higher in the summer and lower them as the grass grows. Warm-season grasses should be trimmed to 2–3 inches tall, whereas cool-season grasses should be mowed at 3–4 inches. Try not to cut more than a third of each blade of grass when mowing.
Look out for bugs and pests.
Insects can come out in the summer. Some will not hurt your lawn, but others like Japanese beetles, June bugs, and European chafers can cause problems.
If you find these bugs, you must take action.
A weed control company can control Japanese beetles after you’ve detected them – or soon before if you see little holes in your lawn where they were. If left untreated, these insects will feed on your grass and lay eggs, which hatch into grubs that begin to consume your beautiful lush green lawn.
You can control this by applying a preventative grub control product or contacting a specialist in lawn care and pest control specialist.
Manage weeds
If you act quickly in the summer, you can eliminate established weeds before they have a chance to bloom and distribute seeds. Use a weed-killing product that targets broadleaf weeds but isn’t harmful to your grass. Remember that even these chemicals might harm your grass if used excessively, so use them sparingly. If you can hand-pull the weeds, it’s better than manually doing it.
Monitor and change up your watering timetable
Soil moisture may be lost during hot, dry weather. Wilted grass blades, reduced shoot and root development, and greater pest and weed resistance are all symptoms of moisture stress.
You’ll need to water your plants more frequently if your plants are rootbound. One reason for this may be that they’re not being watered sufficiently. To remedy this, water your plants at least once or twice a week, as long as your location isn’t experiencing drought situations that impose water limits. The water should be 4-6 inches deep when it’s finished watering, and you can measure this using a simple probe or screwdriver.
If you can, water your lawn early in the morning, before sunrise. The sun will prevent the moisture from drying out before your grass can absorb it. Please pay attention to weather forecasts; don’t overdo it in weeks when it’s going to rain.
Can I fertilize in the summer?
You can apply summer lawn fertilizer between June and August, 6 to 8 weeks after the late spring feeding. Information courtesy of Scotts fertilizers.
If you live in an area with a hot, dry climate, it’s best to wait until fall to fertilize your lawn. The heat and lack of moisture can stress the grass and make it more susceptible to fertilizer burn. However, if you live in an area with cooler summers, you can fertilize your lawn throughout the growing season. Just be sure to water regularly and avoid applying fertilizer during periods of drought.
Check with your local garden store to see if they have any recommendations on whether you should fertilize and, if so, which type to use.
Otherwise, you should get a free lawn assessment from us to determine your specific lawn needs.
Summer lawn care is a tricky game. Keep the grass long and lush by mowing higher than usual, looking out for pests and managing weeds.
Make sure to water sufficiently – but not too much! – and fertilize in late summertime. If all this sounds like too much work, don’t worry!
You can get a free lawn assessment from us that will outline what specific services your lawn needs.