Caring For Your Lawn: Simple Summer Tips

Caring for your lawn does not have to be difficult. Through careful watering, feeding, and trimming, you can keep your lawn in tip-top shape.

The Watering Effect
As with any plant, if you forget to water your lawn, it will wane. A healthy lawn should receive about an inch of water per week, depending on the average temperature of your climate. This amount of water weekly will encourage the grass roots to dig deeper and grow stronger.

It is best to water your lawn in the twilight of early morning. If you water your lawn with the hot sun beating down, you risk burning the grass. Additionally, during the day, water evaporates quite quickly, so the roots may not receive any water at all. Many choose to water in the evening, but this may cause undesirable fungus to grow on your lawn.

Feeding the Grass and Starving the Weeds
A slow-release organic lawn fertilizer is the best choice for feeding your lawn. However, proper caution should be taken when applying any fertilizer during the hot summer months, as too much can actually burn and damage the grass. It is best to fertilize in the spring or fall. Also, because the summer heat allows more weeds to sprout up, spot-check the lawn on a regular basis. Don't go crazy. Simply spot-spray or dig out any unwanted sprouts throughout the week.

Mowing, Mowing, and More Mowing
During the summer, when growth is at a peak, you may need to mow your lawn more often--usually every 10 days is sufficient. Consider, however, mowing it a bit higher when the weather is warm to help with water retention. Longer grass has more water reserved in the roots and blade tissue, and therefore enjoys higher drought resistance. Greater length also improves the grass' ability to carry out photosynthesis, which leads to increased blade and root growth. Finally, high mowing discourages weed growth, as healthy grass chokes out more weeds. The ideal summer grass height is between 3 and a half and 4 inches.

As you mow the lawn, allow some of the clippings to remain, to aid in fertilization. Avoid mowing the lawn in the same direction every time, to prevent wear patterns and encourage upright growth. Finally, be sure your lawn is dry when you mow it. This will improve natural fertilization, reduce clumping, and limit the spread of disease.

Caring for Your Lawn Mower Means Caring for your Lawn
The lawn mower is a key tool to proper lawn care. Just as you would with your car, give your lawn mower regular tune-ups by checking the battery, fuel lines, spark plugs, and oil level. If anything seems to be loose or deteriorating, give it an update. Repair any leaks immediately, as leaking fuel and oil can damage your lawn.

The blades of a push or riding mower should never be neglected. Many landscapers and lawn lovers keep an extra set of blades in the garage or shed. As you approach summer, make sure to give the blades a good sharpening. Dull blades can reduce the fuel efficiency of your lawn mower and damage the grass itself.

When it comes to lawn care, remember to take care of the basics. Make sure your lawn is properly watered, fertilize only as necessary, and mow it regularly and correctly.

~Ben Anton, 2009

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