The hot summer heat puts a lot of stress on your turf, especially if you don’t take any extra steps to protect it from the hot weather. The heat, water loss through evaporation, increased foot traffic, improper mowing, and lack of irrigation can throw your lawn into a shock, and the recovery is much more complex than prevention. Fortunately, our experts in lawn care in Glencoe MO have provided our readers with some basic steps to keeping their turf vibrantly green even in extreme heat.
Decrease Foot Traffic
Especially in the areas with a lot of direct sunlight, try to minimize foot traffic at least for a while. Also, try not to double your lawn as a parking lot, not even once, and do not use a heavy mower. Anything that makes the soil denser than it probably already is may further fuel your turf’s summer troubles. A compacted soil does not allow the water to properly reach the grass’ roots, preventing it from developing a healthy and resilient root system. If the soil is already very compacted, try dethatching and aerating it or call our team of professionals in lawn care in Glencoe MO to do it.
Adjust Your Watering Schedule
In extreme heat, your top watering goal should be to prevent the soil from going dry. Favor quality over quantity when the temperatures are too high. It is best watering deeply 3 or 4 times per week instead of 7 times shallowly. Set your sprinklers to offer your lawn the same amount of water it would have got when watering it for 20 to 30 minutes daily. It is critical to keep the top 1 inch of soil damp rather than soaking wet as too much irrigation can literally suffocate your turf by depriving it of oxygen.
Water the turf between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., as it is sufficiently cool to let water permeate the soil deeply before evaporating. If your lawn has developed brown patches don’t overwater it. Brown spots usually appear on neglected lawns during drought and they are a sign that the turf has gone dormant to protect itself. If you do start watering the lawn, keep a consistent watering schedule throughout the entire drought season.
Mow Higher
The worst thing you could do to your already stressed-out turf is to give it a short haircut in extreme heat. Cutting the grass blades too short reduces their ability to generate the needed energy to grow and stay healthy and resilient. What’s more, a long grass offers enough shade to the soil to prevent water from further evaporating. Don’t cut deeper than 1/3 of the grass’ length.
While mowing, leave the grass clippings on the lawn. Despite being unsightly, the clippings add an extra layer of protection from the summer heat and offer your turf an additional source of nutrients. Also, ensure that your mower’s blades stay razor sharp. Dull blades will fray the grass and expose it to needless evaporation and up its risk of disease.
Consider Hiring Our Team of Experts in Lawn Care in Glencoe MO
A severely stressed-out lawn needs your undivided attention. If your turf stubbornly refuses to bounce back after a dry spell or you simply need someone else to care for your lawn while you enjoy the summer, let Lawn Masters help. We’ve been mastering lawns in West County, St Louis, and St Charles for more than three decades. Lawn mowing is not our only lawn care service. We also offer tree and shrub maintenance, weed and pest control programs, professional fertilization work, landscape build and design, and more. Request a Free Estimate of our services today!
