Tips for your Summer Lawn

June can be a tough transitional time for lawns. It is often during June that signs of drought stress first show up, along with a variety of other issues that can damage that lush, green carpet. This spring has been mostly dry, so this may be especially true. Here are a few tips on how help your lawn withstand the pressures of summer.

Mowing: Make sure you are mowing high (3”), and that your mower blades are sharp. Dull mower blades shred the tips of the grass plants, and make them more susceptible to disease attack.

Grass kept at 3” will develop better roots, and will be more able to withstand drought and weed attack.

Water: To maintain a healthy lawn, 1” of water a week is recommended, including rainfall. Too much water can be as harmful as too little water. It’s best to water early in the morning, to minimize evaporation due to wind and mid-day sun, and to help prevent fungus problems associated with watering in the evening. When subjected to periods of heat and drought with no supplemental watering, lawns may not recover from their brown, dormant state.

Watering too much can cause problems too. Waterlogged soil can starve grass roots of oxygen, and cause lawn damage due to fungus attack.

Pests and Disease: Lawns under stress are especially prone to insect attack. Damage from chinch bugs can look much like drought stress- causing dead patches and brittle grass blades that break off at the surface. Keeping the lawn appropriately watered is the best defense against them.

A new pest has been added to our list of bad guys. European Crane Fly has only recently been discovered in our area, and its larvae can cause severe lawn damage.

Summer’s humid conditions can sometimes cause fungus problems on lawns. Often these show up as roughly circular brown patches. In most cases, with proper cultural care lawns will recover on their own.

With a little attention, your lawn can reward you with a season of lush green for all your summer outdoor activities!

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