Youre Not Mowing Properly
You might be surprised to know that your mowing habits can also have an impact on your struggle to get rid of weeds in the lawn. When you mow your grass too short or you scalp the edges along your walkways and driveway, you are creating conditions that may be favorable for weed growth.
As we mentioned, opportunistic weeds like crabgrass and many broadleaf varieties love thinned out areas of your lawn where its easy for them to get lots of access to the sun. To prevent this, we recommend mowing to a height of at least 3.5 inches. Doing so will also help your soil retain more moisture for your grass.
Watering Lawns In Summer
Cool-season turfgrasses often require supplemental watering in the summer to remain green and actively growing. During hot and dry periods, the turf needs light, frequent waterings that add up to 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches of water per week. Grass roots are naturally shorter during hot, dry conditions of summer, and applying too much water at that time can waste water because it simply moves past the root zone of the plants.
The best time of the day for watering is morning to early afternoon. Avoid watering in the evening — this extends the time that lawns remain wet through the night, and that can encourage fungus diseases. If summer watering restrictions are in place that ban daytime watering, then apply water to turf between midnight and daybreak.
Keeping Your Grass Green During The Summer Months
Americans are wild about their lawns. Every year, they mow turf areas equivalent to the size of Pennsylvania and spend $8.5 billion on lawn care. However, even if you spend the average of 40 hours per year mowing and caring for your lawn, its possible to see your turf turn an unattractive shade of brown once the summer heat hits.
Actually, as landscaping contractors can tell you, a brown lawn is completely natural. The fescues and Kentucky bluegrass varieties that grow well in Northern climates naturally go dormant over the summer months. This is a self-protection strategy grasses enter a state of hibernation to preserve energy. Once the cooler temperatures and higher precipitation of autumn returns, your brown lawn will return to a beautiful shade of green.
Lawn maintenance is one of the most common services landscaping contractors provide. To enjoy an emerald green lawn all summer long, you can hire one of many West Linn lawn care companies, who can help you with everything from scheduled maintenance to the installation of home irrigation systems. Alternatively, DIY-types can keep their lawns green by practicing the following techniques:
Mow high. Put your lawn mower on a high setting, to leave the grass around 3 inches high. Taller blades provide more shade for your lawns root system, which keeps it cooler during hot summer days. Additionally, taller blades of grass result in deeper, stronger roots.
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The Right Fertilizing Schedule Is All About Timing
A day or two before fertilizer application, water your lawn to prep it. Apply fertilizer at the beginning or the end of the day, when temperatures are cooler. Make sure you follow up with a good watering immediately following the application to help the fertilizer absorb into the lawn. However, dont overwater! Avoid fertilizing before a big rainstorm as the excess water may wash away the fertilizer, rendering your efforts useless.
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Consider Using Grass Clippings
You can allow grass clippings to remain on the lawn for them to decompose. Doing this will allow you to recycle the nutrients in them this can then serve as an alternative to synthetic fertilizers during summer. This action is usually called grass cycling.
Removing grass clippings can lead to a decline in your turfs growth and then cause it to lose its lush green appearance. Whereas, letting grass clippings remain on the lawn will invariably lead to an increase in growth as well as improve its appearance.
With this method, you can cut down on your use of fertilizers by as much as one pound of nitrogen per 1, 000² feet of turfgrass.
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Aerate And Dethatch If Needed
The late summer is a perfect time for aeration. After all of the watering, mowing, and mulching of your lawn, there are likely some issues with the compaction of the soil. The aeration will allow water, fertilizer, and herbicides to make their way into the soil as you work more towards the fall season.
Dont Fertilize To Solve Unknown Lawn Issues
Dont start dumping more fertilizer or chemicals on your lawn if its showing signs of stress or disease. Dont assume something is wrong. It could just be the weather!
To maintain a healthy lawn, take a step back, do a little detective work and then decide on the best solution. Here are a few things to consider: Is the lawn going dormant? Is it yellowing because of excessive rain? Is it a disease? Is it a pest? None of these problems will be solved by applying more fertilizer.
When it is time to fertilize, use a natural, slow-release fertilizer like Milorganite. Its safe to apply, even during drought conditions. The salts in chemical-based, synthetic fertilizers can dry out leaf blades and turn your lawn brown. Milorganite wont burn your lawn and will start releasing nutrients only when conditions are right, which includes having enough moisture.
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Don’t Forget About The Rest Of Your Landscape
The key to a beautiful backyard is to make sure everything is tidy. Only making sure that your lawn is manicured will make everything else look messy. For example, if you’ve gone to the effort of learning how to plant a tree, then you also need to take time to prune and treat disease too.
‘Another important part of summer lawn care is taking care of your landscaping,’ says Atkins.
‘If you take care of your landscaping, it can add depth and value to your home. Most people with lawns only care about their grass and yard, but it can be just as important to take care of your trees and shrubs. Your lawn’s landscape is made up of these plants, and it’s important to keep them healthy too.’
It can take a little time to get used to using a hedge trimmer, but once you’re comfortable handling it, why not use your creative license to give your shrubs a different silhouette?
If you don’t have bushes in your backyard, there are alternative ideas for garden edging or garden landscaping ideas you could look into to give your exterior space added interest and wow factor.
Mow At The Proper Height
When you mow your lawn, make sure to do so at 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 three inches, dont mow it shorter than two inches.
You also dont want to mow too often.
This is especially important during the extreme heat of summer because your grass will already stressed, so you want to avoid cutting it so short that it will struggle to recover.
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Speak To An Expert At Patuxent Nursery
For more answers to your questions about lawn care, visit the experts at our Garden Center in Bowie, MD. There, you will find everything you need to keep your lawn green and healthy as well as a friendly and knowledgeable staff to help you choose the right tools and supplies for your needs.
Patuxent Nursery, located in Bowie, Maryland, was started in 1996 by longtime area residents Don and Susan Stelfox. Originally geared toward landscape professionals, Patuxent soon expanded to serve homeowners in Bowie and the surrounding areas in Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia.
Our store offers customers a unique shopping experience and features a gardening-oriented gift shop, outdoor living accessories, an assortment of colorful flowers and edibles and the largest selection of trees and shrubs in the metro area.
We specialize in lawn care and we carry all of the products you need to maintain an attractive lawn, including seed, soil amendments, pest and disease control products, weed killer, weed-and-feed, fertilizers and soil conditioners.
Contact Grass experts in Bowie, MD to speak to an expert at our store today and find out how to keep your lawn healthy and green all summer long.
Chemical Control Of Summer Grass
There are several herbicide sprays on the market that are suitable for managing Summer Grass.
Depending on the maturity of plants and how large an area is affected, it may be necessary for you to spray more than once.
Glyphosate can be effective on Summer Grass, but as a non-selective herbicide it will poison everything it touches, including the lawn. Overspray of glyphosate is especially toxic to Kikuyu and Buffalo lawns.
It is safer to use a selective herbicide. Look for products containing MCPA or the active ingredient oxadiazon.
The Summer Grass plants must be actively growing and not under stress for any herbicide to work properly.
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Avoid Digging Your Weeds
Your soil contains hundreds of weed seeds just waiting for the perfect climate to grow. Every time you disturb the soil by digging, you bring more weed seeds to the surface where they can grow and thrive.
Rather than spending a backbreaking summer removing weeds, contact us. At JHC Landscaping Services Inc. were weed control experts.
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Summer Lawn Care Guide
Summer is a maintenance season for lawns.
If spring lawn care is about getting your lawn healthy and green, summer lawn care is about KEEPING it healthy while temperatures soar and rainfall becomes a fleeting memory. Its also about maintaining a lawn that can withstand all the barbecues, games, parties, and running feet that summer has to offer. Here are some tips for keeping your lawn in shape over those long, hot days of summer.
If you are unable to water regularly, allow your lawn to go dormant.
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Spot Treat Grassy Weeds Before They Spread
‘If you spot a troublesome weed before it takes hold, you can take steps to kill it or at least keep it from spreading by using pre-emergent herbicides and fertilizers.’
‘This will save your lawn’s health and prevent the future growth of unwanted plants.’
Shop for the best weed killer or discover how to get rid of weeds naturally with baking soda, Castille soap ), or salt/vinegar solution.
Maxim is a fan of treating your grassplot with a condiment cocktail. He advises that you use: ‘one gallon of vinegar to a cup of salt and about a tablespoon of dish soap! Spray directly to the weed. Try to avoid putting around plants and green grassy areas as salt doesn’t mix well for thriving spaces.’
How Often You Should Apply Fertilizer To Your Lawn
Though fertilizer has its benefits, you dont want to overdo it. A full feeding is recommended at least 5-6 times per year. You want to feed your lawn when its growing most rapidly. However, you should base the frequency on your climate and the type of grass you have. For example, cool season grasses can be fertilized in late spring, but only if necessary.
Warm season grasses, like Bermuda grass, St. Augustine, zoysia, centipede and buffalo grass, should be fertilized in spring. Depending on the amount of water your grass gets, aim to reapply your fertilizer every 6-8 weeks. Keep a watchful eye on your grass. If it looks thick and green, you can probably skip the feeding. If its starting to look brown or black, give your lawn some TLC.
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Pour Boiling Water On The Weed
The advantage of using boiling water as an alternative to chemical crabgrass killers is that it can also kill dormant seeds in the soil that are waiting to germinate. The results are instant, since the extreme heat destroys plant tissue including the roots.
Heres how to kill crabgrass with boiling water:
Pour hot, boiling water on crabgrass and a 2-foot radius at the base of the weed to kill the foliage and roots. The heat will shock and damage the roots, forcing the plant to die. Youll see crabgrass wilting and dying off within 2 days.
Caution: Do not pour boiling water on your desired turfgrass, otherwise youll kill the good grass too. This method is great if youre getting rid of crabgrass in driveways or between rocks.
The Keys To Summer Lawn Care
When making a summer lawn care plan, its best to think of the season in phases: Early, mid, and late summer. How you care for your lawn varies according to the phase. For example treating for pests like grubs, is best done in the early summer before they have a chance to become established and damage the roots of your grass. A typical summer lawn care schedule to keep your lawn green in summer heat might look like this:
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How Short To Cut Your Grass In The Summer
When it comes to mowing, during the summer months youll want to raise your mower blade. Why? Taller grass tends to have deeper roots, which allows plants to more easily access nutrients and withstand the demands of drought conditions. In addition, taller grass blades mean more shade, which discourages the growth of weeds, which compete with your turf for valuable moisture and food.
You can mow warm-season grassesSt. Augustine, Zoysia, Bermuda grass and Buffalo grassto between two and three inches tall during the hottest times of the year. Ryegrass, tall fescue and bluegrass are cool-season grasses and can be mowed to as high as your blade can go, or between three and four inches. Allow leaf clippings to remain on the lawn to help your landscape retain moisture. As with any time of year, avoid mowing more than a third of the grass blade at a time. Also, ensure that your mower blades are sharp, so that you are cutting and not tearing your grass, as this can add extra stress to your plants at an already challenging time of year.
Keep in mind that both mowing and watering needs in residential areas can vary widely, especially in a state as big as Texas. If your lawn is still struggling during the summer months, despite your best efforts, try calling in a lawn care professional to see if there is something else going on with your grass.
Now that you know more about how to water and mow during the summer, lets discuss a lawn maintenance schedule for this time of year.
How Do I Green Up My Lawn In Summer
Relative availability of various nutrients at different pH levels.
Its July and your lawn looks dull and yellowish. Whats the harm in putting a few pounds of fertilizer down to green it up? Well, if youre not careful about timing, quantity or fertilizer content, you could cause serious damage to your lawn.
When to fertilize depends on if your lawn is made up of cool season grass or warm season grass. Cool season grasses look best when the weather is cooler: fall, winter and spring. In times of hot, dry weather they can go dormant. Warm season grasses thrive in hot summer conditions, but go semi- to completely dormant in winter.
For cool season grasses, chemical fertilizer applications should stop between mid-March and mid-September, the ideal time of application being October, November and February. Warm season grasses should be fertilized from the time of green up in spring through September. So, if your lawn is a warm season grass go ahead and fertilize in summer to keep it nice and green.
Cool season grasses have some issues when it comes to fertilizing in summer. Excess nitrogen can make a lawn much more susceptible to brown patch. It can cause rapid growth, meaning youll have to mow more frequently And if you use too much or apply when the temperatures are too high, you can burn or even kill the grass.
And remember, nothing will revive color in a fully summer-dormant lawn but cooler temperatures and irrigation.
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Dont Apply Herbicides When Its Too Hot
There are two reasons to not apply herbicides during hot or drought conditions: it may burn your lawn and its not as effective. Herbicides are temperature-sensitive and should only be applied during weather conditions recommended by the manufacturer, which is often includes temperatures under 85F. If applied during hotter conditions, it may burn your lawn.
Herbicides can often be less effective in drought conditions. Weeds are growing more slowly and have their own defenses against drought. The herbicide may not be as readily taken-up as it would during average summer weather.
To be safe, wait until after the excessive heat or drought is over to apply an herbicide. Dont forget to read herbicide labels carefully and follow manufacturer instructions for application.
What Should I Put On My Lawn In July
Many 4 Step plans include a summer fertilizer application around the 4th of July . An organic-based or slow-release fertilizer like Milorganite is a popular option because it is non-burning.
I hope these five summer lawn care tips were helpful. Please share a comment below if you have any questions or feedback.
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