Summer Lawn Care Tips (2022) (2023)

FAQs

What should I put on my lawn in the summertime? ›

Apply Low-Nitrogen Fertilizer

Whereas nitrogen-rich fertilizers are appropriate for the early springtime green-up and growth, as we just mentioned, they can cause further stress to lawns in the summer and even cause burns. That's why low-nitrogen fertilizer is a great option for summer lawns.

In mid-spring (often late March to April), use a proprietary spring or summer lawn fertiliser at the manufacturer's recommended rates. Feeding the lawn will increase vigour and help prevent weeds and moss from establishing. Apply fertilisers when the soil is moist, or when rain is expected.

Keep mowing regularly, except during drought. In hot weather, set the mower at a slightly higher level than normal for early summer. This can prevent the lawn drying in hot weather. Don't worry unduly about brown patches on the lawn - they will recover quickly when the autumn rains arrive.

2-3 cm (or 1 inch) is a good height for a summer lawn to stay tidy. This is usually the lowest setting on your lawn mower. However, in hot weather, shorter grass may expose the soil and dry it out.

Be sure to fertilize in June and August, and if needed, apply fertilizer in July as well.

Feed. Feeding in the early summer helps strengthen the lawn so it can better withstand the heat and drought conditions that summer is famous for. Scotts® Turf Builder® releases its nutrients slowly over time, making it the go-to fertilizer for all grass types.

Generally, you should not be grass fertilizing in hot weather. Overfertilizing can lead to the need to mow more often, and fertilizing at the wrong time can irreversibly damage your lawn. A summer lawn care schedule should mostly focus on watering and mowing as needed.

Ideally, the ground should be around 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Depending on where you live, March to April is the best time to fertilize your lawn. It's also best if your yard is watered a few days before you want to apply the fertilizer, whether that's from rain or a sprinkler.

Fertilizing in the early summer can give your warm-season grass, which grows best at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit, a boost to grow thick and healthy. Fertilizing at the right time can make your grass more heat- and drought-resistant. However, if you apply too much, you run the risk of burning your lawn.

How do I make my lawn look good? ›

Ideally, keep your grass 3+ inches tall for most of the season. In extreme heat, consider leaving your lawn 4 inches tall for maximum resistance. In the fall, consider cutting to 2 inches high, as no new weeds come up at that time, to faciliate fall clean-up.

Even if you're performing weekly mowing, if you're cutting the grass too short, it could still turn yellow from stress. When you mow too short, you also invite weeds into your lawn. Opportunistic weeds are much more likely to invade weakened lawns, than dense and thriving ones.

Mower Height

A mowing height between 2.5 to 3 inches is best for most of the season, except during summer stresses when the lawn mowing height should be raised one-half inch to mow at 3 to 3.5 inches. Raising the mowing height provides more insulation from summer heat and reduces water loss from your soil.

The best fertilizer ratios for summer are 6-0-0, 15-0-8, and 10-0-4. These ratios will keep your grass strong and healthy while avoiding fertilizer burn in the heat. Before you get any further in your search for the best fertilizer ratio for your summer turf, you must make sure that you know the type of grass you have.

So, if your lawn is a warm season grass go ahead and fertilize in summer to keep it nice and green. (About a pound of nitrogen for every thousand square feet every 4 to 6 weeks should do it.) Cool season grasses have some issues when it comes to fertilizing in summer.

If you want a green lawn all summer long, you must water consistently.. Rather than shallow watering every day, water your lawn deeply once or twice a week. One to one-and-a-half inches of water a week will keep your lawn green. Most home irrigation systems can be pre-programmed to take care of the watering for you.

Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium take time to absorb into your soil. Doing anything too drastic on your lawn, such as cutting your grass, will disrupt this process. We always suggest to our clients that they wait 24 to 48 hours before mowing their lawn after fertilization.

Yet, summer stressors like the hot sun and meager rainfall do their best to keep them apart. You can do something about it with Scotts® Turf Builder® SummerGuard® lawn food. This 2-in-1formula helps to build strong, deep roots and keeps grass green and healthy all summer long.

Should you water after fertilizing? ›

At Master Lawn, we typically say to wait 24 hours before watering your lawn after fertilizing. But it is important to make sure that it does receive a good watering session soon after that 24 hour waiting period. Watering helps the fertilizer to activate and to break down and begin feeding nutrients to the lawn.

Do not apply fertilizer on an abnormally hot day, not even in the morning. Wait until the weather cools back down to a normal temperature. You can mow anytime after fertilizing with a granular treatment. With a liquid treatment, wait a day or two.

Recognizing Over-Fertilization Lawn Symptoms

It shows up as scorched areas of the lawn (literally looked “burned”) and is typically crispy and yellow (or brown). If you've overapplied to the entire lawn it might not be enough to burn it but you might notice symptoms such as brown or yellow tips on the grass blades.

AVOID MOWING DURING EXTREME HEAT When your lawn is particularly stressed from heat or drought, it can be limited in its ability to recover from mowing and can be damaged even more. Instead, mow the grass after a rainfall or after irrigation day.

Fixes for Yellow Lawns

Thin out trees so plenty of sunlight can get into the area. Maintain a sharp mower and only mow when the grass is dry. Improve drainage in the lawn and aerate to increase air circulation to roots. Rake up excess grass clippings which can make a home for pests and harbor disease.

There is no way to revive dead grass, but you can keep brown or yellowing grass from dying out. The best way to revive dehydrated grass is to offer moisture as needed.

You can plant grass seed immediately after applying fertilizer. Please make sure there is no weed preventer in the fertilizer, as this will also prevent the grass seed from germinating.

Here's the deal: rainfall after fertilization is absolutely not a bad thing. In fact, it's good! Water helps fertilizer fully absorb into the soil. Mild rain after you fertilize is nothing to worry about.

Leading scientists recommend applying nitrogen fertilizers in the spring and fall for cool season grasses like Kentucky Bluegrass, Fescue and Ryegrass, and throughout the summer for warm season grasses like St. Augustine and Bermuda, since this is when the grass plant is actively growing.

When fertilizing a lawn, it is best to apply fertilizer after the lawn has been mowed so it has a few days to absorb the fertilizer.

What home remedy makes grass green? ›

Mix equal parts ammonia and Epsom salts, and disperse this mixture throughout your lawn. Ammonia is a great source of nitrogen, which will help your grass achieve a healthier, greener color; and the Epsom salts contain magnesium sulfate, which will help your grass retain water, and reduce your lawn's thirst for water.

Naturally, rain will revive a brown lawn. However, if rainfall is insufficient watering the lawn deeply once a week will help your lawn to spring back to green.

Can Yellow Grass Turn Green Again? Yes! In most cases, you can turn yellow grass green fast and once again have a lovely lawn.

Water when you Wake

This may seem like a no brainer, but watering grass during extreme heat is the single most important thing you can do to keep it alive. We recommend watering daily with heat like this, but please be sure to abide by local regulations for water usage in your state.

Fertilising is an essential part of lawn maintenance, encouraging growth and healthy grass all year long. We suggest doing it twice a year – once in the autumn months to protect it throughout the winter and once in spring to help boost the growth and carry you through the summer months.

As a rule, it is best to water your lawn with an oscillating sprinkler during the early morning hours to achieve the right amount of moisture absorption. It is advised to operate the sprinkler for one-two hours.

You must water your lawn in hot weather at least three times per week, as long as you soak the soil to a depth of at least 6 to 8 inches. Akin to normal conditions, watering your lawn daily will create a shallow root system, which dries out fast and weakens your lawn.

For best results, water your lawn thoroughly three times a week if we do not get significant rainfall. In hot, dry weather, water shrubs and flowers daily. Morning, around 6 to 8 a.m., is the best time to water. Watering at any time of day is better than not watering at all.

Should you water grass when it's really hot? ›

Watering on a hot summer afternoon is a horrible idea. The liquid will evaporate too quickly and may not reach your grass's roots, so heat and irrigation shouldn't go together. Instead, the best time to water grass during summer is in the morning. The ideal time for morning watering is before 9 AM.

Generally, you should not be grass fertilizing in hot weather. Overfertilizing can lead to the need to mow more often, and fertilizing at the wrong time can irreversibly damage your lawn. A summer lawn care schedule should mostly focus on watering and mowing as needed.

Try not to overwater your lawn as this could encourage weed growth, and risk of mold and disease. "Make sure you're getting between 1-1.5 inches of water on the lawn each week", advises Elworthy. "A simple rain gauge is all you need.

You can plant grass seed immediately after applying fertilizer. Please make sure there is no weed preventer in the fertilizer, as this will also prevent the grass seed from germinating.

Here's the deal: rainfall after fertilization is absolutely not a bad thing. In fact, it's good! Water helps fertilizer fully absorb into the soil. Mild rain after you fertilize is nothing to worry about.

If your lawn gets liquid fertilizer, wait until it dries before watering, about 2-4 hours. If it's granular fertilizer, water right away. One exception: if you also got spot weed treatments at the same time, wait for that to dry before watering, or the water will wash off the weed killer before it can work.

Watering in the morning (before 10 a.m.) is the best time for your lawn; it's cooler and winds tend to be calmer so water can soak into the soil and be absorbed by the grass roots before it can evaporate.

Most oscillating sprinklers will put off about one inch of water an hour. That would mean that you would need to water your lawn for one hour, once a week (twice weekly in periods of extreme drought).

What we normally recommend to people is to not make a habit of watering after you mow. Put together a basic watering schedule (whereby you water on days when you're not mowing) and make sure you stick to it. By all means though, if you notice that your grass is dry as you mow, do water it afterward.