TIPS FOR A LUSH GREEN YARD
Envious of your neighbor’s lawn? Confused why yours is turning brown? Don’t want to spend hours upon hours in the summer heat doing yardwork? Not sure how much to water, when to water, what fertilizer to use (or for that matter, whether to even fertilize during the summer), what height to set your lawnmower? Check out some tips to answer these questions AND watch your neighbors turn ‘green with envy’ over your lush and green lawn!
*Lawncare differs between the seasons, so it’s necessary to understand how varying conditions affect the way you tend to your yard. Dead grass could be a sign that your soil has dried out, yet there are steps you can take to remedy this problem. House flipper, John Maxim, says: ‘Use a spray bottle or a good garden house attachment to soften hardened rough patches with Dawn or Ivory soap and water. This will penetrate the soil easier, allowing your trouble patch to get water easier. Warning-this isn’t ideal for all types of grasses and if the soap bubbles, then quickly spray away with only water.’
*Tackle weeds before they take hold. Maxim advises using ‘one gallon of vinegar to a cup of salt and about a tablespoon of dish soap. Spray this directly to the weed, avoiding it around plants and green grassy areas.’ Another treatment is Scotts Spot Weed Control For Lawns, which kills weeds without harming grass.
*Research different types of grasses and choose a heat-tolerant grass that won’t turn brown and straw-like in the heat. You will want to overseed by adding new grass seed into your lawn. By doing so, this fills in bare spots and patches.
*Make certain your mower blades are sharp, which aids in a more even cut. Having sharper blades means you may be able to wait longer between mowing times, while also reducing the possibility of damaging the grass.
*Speaking of mowing, don’t trim your lawn too short. Thomas Monson, Monson Lawn & Landscaping says: ‘Most lawns would benefit from being left just a little higher than you would normally cut them. By leaving it taller, your lawn will look greener and fluffier over the long term.’ The suggested height is approximately ½” for fine, ornamental lawns or 1-1 ½” for the more resilient lawns. The Backyard Master suggests you research ‘the recommended height for your grass type. Cutting your grass too short can stress it out and make it more susceptible to heat damage. The most important rule to follow is that you should never cut more than a third of the length of your grass at once. So, if your grass is at the recommended height of 3”, don’t mow it shorter than 2”.’
*Watering can be tricky. There’s a fine line between too much or too little water. An article written by Christina Chrysostomou for Real Homes suggests: ‘During the summer, it’s important to water your grass early in the morning so that the water will stay on the grass for longer. If your lawn is suffering from drought, a quick irrigation cycle in the afternoon will help cool the plant down. The best time to do this is between 4 and 6pm, so the lawn can dry out before the sun goes down. It’s a good idea to water grass once a week if it’s not raining. In extreme summer heat a good guide is about 5 gallons of water a week for every 1 square yard.’ Overwatering your yard may cause it to turn brown as the grass suffocates and dies due to a lack of oxygen.
*Should you dispose of or let your lawn clippings lie? That all depends on the amount left over from mowing your lawn. Too many clippings can block the sun from giving the necessary nutrients essential to the health of the grass, while also suffocating your lawn. However, if there is not an excess of clippings, they can serve as a great fertilizer as they break down and feed your lawn.
*Speaking of fertilizer – what should you put on your lawn in the summer? Real Homes offers a couple of options: 1) apply ½ oz. per square yard sulfate of ammonia mixed with four times its weigh dry soil. Mixing with soil ensures even distribution and avoids scorching the grass. 2) As an organic alternative, use chicken manure pellets.
*Aerate your lawn at least once a year as a vital part of your lawn care in the summer.
*Check for diseases: dollar spot, brown patch, and Fusarium blight can cause a lawn to discolor. Take a sample of the grass to a local garden center for identification and treatment.
*And finally – PETS. Pet waste, especially urine is known to cause brown spots in your lawn, and this can be worsened by the high summer temperatures. If you are unable train your pets to use a part in your yard that is bare, try hosing off the area with water as soon as possible, to dilute the urine and minimize the damage.
Hopefully a few of these tips will soon see your lawn AND your neighbors turning ‘green’.
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