How to maintain your lawn in summer

SUMMER is all about enjoying the outdoors and spending time in the garden whether you’re hosting a garden party, a braai with family and friends or simply just sitting on the lawn catching some rays and reading a book. Now is the time to look after your lawn and keep it in tip top shape throughout the season. We’ve put together some steps you can take to make sure your lawn looks great all summer long.

Mow regularly

Now is the time to let your grass grow a little longer than normal. According to the experts, this helps reduce the stress on your lawn. All you have to do is change your mower blade setting a little higher. You will still need to mow at least once a week or twice a week if summer rains dictate. Persistent hot, dry weather will affect the appearance of your lawn so make sure you water deeply. It’s also recommend to now and again leave grass clippings on the lawn after you’ve mowed to act as a much. It will help conserve moisture.

If a lawn is cut too short, it reduces the plants’ ability to produce energy for growth. When cut at the proper height it develops stronger roots that support more vigorous plants that are more tolerant of stress. Keep in mind that different varieties of grass have different growth habits that directly relate to mowing heights.

Keep Blades Sharp

When grass is cut with a sharp mower blade, the plant is able tol heal faster than when cut with a dull blade. Dull blades tear the plant tissue which then develops a brown appearance at the surface and may become more susceptible to stress and disease

Remember the One-Third Rule

It is important to also remember the “one-third” rule when cutting grass: never remove more than one-third of the grass height at one time. By doing so, the lawn is kept cooler because less plant tissue is removed.

What you need to know

Water, but don’t overwater

There is a misconception that to maintain grass in extreme heat it is necessary to overwater. A general rule to keep in mind is that turf grasses do better managed on the dry side rather than wet; when soil is constantly wet, the grass roots will be deprived of oxygen and may become more susceptible to disease because diseases thrive in wet conditions. In general, the drier the grass and soil, the less disease there will be.

A rule-of-thumb is to water deeply and infrequently. Water deeply to wet the entire root zone, and then do not water again until the grass is dry. If you would like to be specific, water the hot spots (spots that get dry faster than the rest of the lawn) and then wait for the rest of the lawn to dry out. Do not water the grass daily. Lawns need only one-inch of water per week, including rainfall.

Avoid mowing the lawn during drought stress. Lawns under such stress find it difficult to recover from mowing and can suffer further damage. Mow after rainfall or a day or so after you have watered.

Feed and condition

Keep your lawn green and healthy by feeding it to maintain its strength. Speak to the experts at your local gardening outlet for advice on the best products to use to feed your lawn to protect and maintain it in the hot weather.

Keep weeds at bay

Remove any obvious weeds from your lawn as they will compete with the grass for moisture.

Fertilizing

Although the idea of fertilizing might sound like a good idea to maintain a healthy, lush lawn, do not consider it during the heat of mid-summer. During the hot summer months, the cool season grasses consume more than they can produce. Fertilizing stimulates more growth, which consumes even more energy further stressing lawns during periods of high temperatures.

Grass can tolerate the heat more easily if it is kept in a healthy state throughout the year. Season-long care includes proper fertilization, watering, mowing, and pest control that all help to produce a healthy lawn that is able to tolerate summer (and other) stresses