Keeping your lawn healthy this summer is all about giving your grass the best growing conditions you can. This includes incorporating good mowing and watering practices as well as conditioning the soil your grass is growing in. Just like every other plant, tree and shrub in your landscape, your lawn will only do as well as the soil it’s growing in. If the soil wasn’t amended properly when your lawn was first planted, summer’s heat can bring on a myriad of problems, including brown patches, thin spots and turf die back. You know you have a problem when your grass looks bad no matter how much water you give it. Short of tearing your lawn out and starting over, there are steps you can take now to improve your soil and keep your lawn looking good through the summer season. Step one, aerate. Though we traditionally think about aeration in the spring, aerating your lawn in the summer is just as beneficial. Core aeration will open the soil, improve water and fertilizer utilization and reduce water runoff. Step two, add organic material to your soil by applying humate found in Natural Guard organic HuMic.
Humate is basically super compost which improves soil structure, encourages root growth and helps your grass take up nutrients more efficiently. HuMic comes in granular form and is easy to apply, using your fertilizer spreader.
Step three, treat your lawn with Revive®. Revive® acts as a wetting agent, helping water soak into the ground, down to the root zone, resulting in less evaporation and run off. Revive® also helps grass take up nutrients. Revive® is available in granular and liquid form. Both are effective, though Revive® granular has the added benefit of a small amount of Nitrogen.
In addition to the soil conditions your grass is growing in, lawn health this time of year is also influenced by mowing and irrigation practices. Cool season grasses make up most of our lawns: blue grass, perennial rye and turf-type tall fescue or combinations of all three. Cool season grasses do best in spring and fall. Their natural tendency is to go semi-dormant in the summer. These grasses do best in summer when you mow the lawn higher and more frequently.
Start by setting your mower height range to between 3 inches and 4 inches. Mowing cool season grasses at this height reduces heat stress on the lawn, retains moisture and encourages deep root development. Combine the increased height with more frequent mowing. Plan to mow often enough so that you’re not removing more than one-third of the total length. When you mow, make sure the mower blade is sharp. Dull blades tear the grass rather than cut it. The results are a ragged look to the lawn and turf grass that’s more susceptible to disease.
When it comes to watering your lawn, it’s best to water late evening or early in the morning, before 6 am, when there is less evaporation. The goal is to run your water system for longer periods of time and do it less frequently. For cool weather grasses such as blue grass, fescue and rye, watering deeper and less often will stimulate long root growth. Long, strong root systems use less water to maintain a healthy turf.
Consider watering when your lawn needs it, rather than on a set schedule. When the color of the lawn turns from green to light gray or when you walk on the lawn and the grass doesn’t spring right back up, your lawn needs water. If runoff is a problem, implement the cycle and soak method. This method of irrigation involves watering for brief intermittent periods rather than one long watering cycle, allowing water to soak into the soil between cycles. Watch the weather. Take advantage of natural moisture to irrigate the lawn.
Improving the soil on a continuous basis, combined with good mowing and watering practices, will help your lawn look its best through the hot summer months ahead.
No comments:
Post a Comment