A lot of homeowners take great pride in keeping their lawns looking the best possible. During certain times of the year, however, it can be a little more difficult to keep your yard looking green and plush. During the summer months, the heat can turn your green grass into shades of brown; and even though this is completely natural, it doesn't always look great. In most cases, keeping your lawn looking good during the summer months will require professional help. Until going that route, below are some do-it-yourself tips to keeping your lawn looking its best during the hot summer days.
Mow with Blades Set High
Before you mow during the summer months, put your lawnmower blades on a higher setting. Try to leave your grass at least three inches long or more. This offers more shade for the root system and will keep them stronger and deeper. The more protected the roots are, the better chance they will have at keeping your grass green.
Water Regularly
To keep your grass green during the summer months, you need to give it deep and regular watering. Instead of shallow watering your lawn each day, it is best to give your lawn a deep watering at least once or twice each week. Giving your yard at least one or more inches of water per week can help your grass stay green and healthy. If you have a home irrigation system, this can be pre-programmed and done without extra effort.
Water in the Morning
Early in the morning is the best time to water your lawn. The benefit of watering earlier in the morning is that it'll give your grass enough time to dry up throughout the day. When your grass stays wet for too long, the risk of fungal diseases becoming present increases. Diseases can mean brown, unsightly spots in your yard.
Maintain Your Mower
If you do not maintain your lawn mower, you increase the risk of it breaking down more often. Additionally, a mower that is not maintained can harm your turf. Routinely check your mower and change the oil, spark plugs, and filter. Before you mow your grass, check that your blades are sharpened.
Fix Pet Waste Spots
As much as we love our pets, the waste they deposit into our yards can wreak havoc on our lawns. When your dog completes his or her business on your lawn, they are essentially over-fertilizing that specific spot. Purchase lawn repair kits to help regrow over-fertilized, brown spots on your property in a few days.
Fertilize Regularly
Most professional landscapers recommend homeowners fertilize their lawns at least once every six weeks. When using traditional fertilizers, this can end up causing your grass to grow quicker than you can keep it cut. Consider a fertilizing application with low nitrogen content to help keep your lawn green in the summer without growing too fast. If you use a mulching mower, you can naturally fertilize your yard by recycling the nutrients from the grass clippings and sending them back to your soil. When applying the fertilizer, do it judiciously and evenly. If you over-fertilize in certain areas, you will find the turf turning brown.
Hire a Professional
If you have a pesky lawn or not enough time to put in the effort needed to have a green lawn all summer long, it may be best to hire a professional landscaping company. They have all of the necessary knowledge and equipment to give you the perfect lawn during your local climate conditions. They can design a lawn care process from start to finish. Hiring a professional will ensure the job gets done correctly, and it will save you a lot of time and hassle.
Keeping your lawn looking green during the summer months can be quite the undertaking. You need to put a lot of time and effort into regularly maintaining your grass if you want it looking its best.