It’s common for grass to dry out during the summer months. After all, summer is one of the hottest times of the year with the sun at its peak.
If the hot sun has wrought havoc on your lawn and you start noticing brown patches on your grass, you may need to switch up your summer lawn care routine.
It’s important to keep your grass healthy and well-fed. In order to do that, you need to make sure it’s getting the right amount of water and nutrients.
Here are some summer lawn maintenance dos and don’t for your lawn and how you can prevent your lawn from burning.
Do Water Your Lawn Consistently
There is a right and wrong time to water your lawn. The best time to water your lawn is first thing in the morning around 6:00 a.m., when the sun is just coming up.
If you water your lawn midday when the sun is at its highest, it could cause the water to evaporate before it’s absorbed by your lawn, resulting in your grass being burnt by the sun.
Make sure to develop a summer lawn care maintenance schedule and stick to it. It’s better to water your lawn once thoroughly than to water it several times a day for short periods of time. Why? Because deep watering allows the water to soak into the soil and promotes deeper root growth. Meanwhile, lightly watering your lawn ensures the roots stay closer to the surface, which could weaken them during drier periods in the summer.
A good way to keep a consistent watering schedule is to use a built-in irrigation system that has timers. Speak to your local summer lawn care company in Toronto about getting an irrigation system installed on your property.
Do Add Sugar to Your Lawn
It may sound strange, but adding sugar to your lawn is a great way to prevent your lawn from burning. Grass requires nitrogen in order to grown tall and thick. Sugar benefits the microbes in your soil and in your grass by allowing them to seek out nitrogen and, therefore, improves root development.
You don’t need much sugar. Simply sprinkle a small amount of granulated sugar or powdered sugar across your lawn and then water your lawn lightly. Just keep in mind that too much sugar can attract insects and animals, so make sure you water your lawn immediately after you apply the sugar.
Do Use Compost and Mulch
Spreading compost and mulch throughout your lawn, including in your garden beds, can help your lawn retain moisture during periods of drought or hot temperatures.
Did you know that one teaspoon of compost contains a billion beneficial microorganisms to help your soil? Compost can bring damaged soil back to life and improve the root system in your grass by helping with nutrient absorption and water retention.
You should also apply a light layer of mulch to prevent your lawn from burning during the summer. Mulching as your mow your lawn puts grass particles back into the turf and adds nutrients to your soil.
Don’t Use Fertilizers and Weed Killers
Fertilizer can actually burn your lawn if it isn’t applied correctly. Most fertilizers contain nitrogen in varying degrees, and when the nitrogen is combined with heat from the sun, it could damage and kill the microbes in your soil. This will dry out your grass and give it a burnt appearance.
That’s why many fertilizers and weed killers are temperature-sensitive and shouldn’t be used as part of your lawn care routine if the weather is 29 degrees Celsius or higher. Also, if your lawn has already gone dormant from the summer heat and drought, do not feed it.
The best thing to do is hire a lawn maintenance company in the fall to fertilize your lawn and prepare it for the winter months.
Don’t Cut Your Grass Too Often or Too Short
An important summer lawn care tip to keep in mind is that cutting your lawn too often or too short can negatively affect its growth.
If your grass is going through a dry period—which is quite common during the summer months—try not to mow your lawn too often. Falling into a routine of mowing your lawn each week, in the same direction, will cause the blades of grass to grow on an angle and it could stress out your lawn.
It’s still important to mow your lawn during the summer to prevent your lawn from burning, though. Make sure to raise the mower blade, so that you don’t end up cutting your grass too short. The shorter your grass, the weaker it will be and the less your grass will be able to root.
Also, always use a sharp blade. Dull blades can rip through your grass instead of cutting it cleanly. You can tell if your mower’s blade is to dull if your lawn looks brown after it’s been cut.
Don’t Walk on Your Lawn Too Often
When possible, try to avoid walking on your lawn when it’s dry and hot outside. Over time, foot traffic could cause stress to your lawn by compacting the soil and reducing drainage.
Poor drainage not only leads to flooding because your grass is unable to absorb the water properly, but it also depletes your lawn of the much-needed moisture and nutrients the roots need to thrive.
A summer lawn maintenance company can help improve drainage and help care for a burnt lawn by aerating your soil during the spring or fall months.
Consult a Summer Lawncare Expert in Toronto
FOREVER GREEN LAWN & LANDSCAPE INC. is one of the leading summer lawn care companies in Toronto and the GTA. For 25 years, we have been providing professional landscape installation and maintenance services across Toronto and the GTA. If you need residential or commercial lawn care maintenance this summer or simply want advice on how to prevent your lawn from burning, we can help. Contact us today to book a consultation.
