Summer lawn maintenance

Summer lawn maintenance

Summer lawn maintenance - how to keep ryegrass emerald green in the heat

The summer months are the most trying time for any yard owner. The combination of extreme temperatures, strong sunlight and dry air puts the delicate ryegrass ecosystem under enormous stress. Very often in an effort to help the grass, people make fatal mistakes - they water at the wrong time, mow too low or apply inappropriate fertilizers.

Professional summer lawn maintenance requires a change in rules from the spring season. The goal in summer is not to stimulate lush and rapid growth, but to help the grass carpet survive, to keep its rich color and build immunity against the heat and typical summer diseases. Here are the essential steps for success.

Content

Mowing in summer: Raise the knife height

In the spring, we mow the grass low (about 3-4 cm), to stimulate it to thicken. In summer, however, this is disastrous.

  • New height rule: Raise the mower blade to minimum 5.5 – 6.5 cm.
  • Why is it important?: Longer blades of grass act as a natural umbrella – they shade the soil beneath them. This reduces the evaporation of moisture, protects the delicate root system from overheating and prevents weed seeds from germinating.
  • Sharp knives: Make sure, that the mower blade is perfectly sharp. The dull blade cuts and drags the leaves, instead of cutting it cleanly. The broken tips of the grass dry out in a matter of hours and the whole yard becomes ugly, whitish-yellow hue.

Watering in the heat: Abundantly, rarely and only in the morning

The wrong watering regime is the #1 reason for the ruin of meadows in July and August.

  • The golden hour: Watering should only happen in the early morning hours - between 4:00 and 6:30 in the morning. If you water in the evening, the grass stays wet all night, which combined with the warm nights is the perfect recipe for fungus to grow. If you water during the day, the drops act as scales and the sun burns the leaves, and most of the water evaporates, before drinking.
  • Deep soaking: Stop the daily “spraying” for po 5-10 minutes. Better to water every other day or two, but extremely abundant (about 15-20 liters of water per sq.m). Abundant watering causes the moisture to go down 10-15 cm depth in the soil. This stimulates the ryegrass roots to grow downward in search of water, making it self-sufficient and drought-resistant.

Summer nourishment: Slow release and anti-stress formulas

Can it be fertilized in the summer?? Yes, but very carefully.

  • Never use fast-acting nitrogen fertilizers (such as ammonium nitrate) in the heat - they will burn the grass immediately.
  • Only use professional granular fertilizers with slowly (controlled) exemption of the nutritional elements and chigh potassium content (K). Potassium strengthens the cell walls of the grass, reduces water stress and helps plants tolerate high temperatures without wilting. Be sure to water abundantly immediately after fertilizing.

Protection from summer fungal diseases

Summer is the season of the most dangerous fungal infections on the lawn (Pythium, Brown spotting etc.). They are recognized by this, that the yellow spots expand rapidly, and the grass in them is slimy and is easily plucked together with the root. If you notice such symptoms, reduce watering slightly and spray preventively with a combination fungicide in the evening after sunset.

Frequently asked questions about lflock grass maintenance

1. Should I collect grass clippings in the summer??
If your mower has a good mulching function (cuts the grass into microscopic pieces) and mow regularly, you can leave the slope on the ground. It decomposes quickly, returns nitrogen to the soil and acts as a protective layer against evaporation. However, if the grass is long or there are signs of fungus, be sure to collect it in the basket and take it out.

2. How do I know if my irrigation system is watering evenly in the summer??
Take a simple test: place several identical empty cups or cans in different places in the yard (in the green and in the drying areas). Start watering for 20 minutes and see the water level in the glasses. If in the drying areas the water is twice less, then you have clogged nozzles or incorrect setting of the sprinklers.

3. Can scarification be done? (scarification) in July and August?
Absolutely not. The scarification (scraping the felt with knives) subjects the grass to severe mechanical stress and exposes the soil. Done in the heat, it will kill the ryegrass immediately. This procedure is done only in spring or autumn.

Conclusion

The successful one summer lawn maintenance rests on three simple, but iron rules: the mower in a higher position, watering abundantly and only early in the morning, and feeding with slow-release potassium fertilizers. Don't try to force the grass to grow quickly in the heat. Give her protection, coolness at the root and proper hydration, and she will repay you with a fresh one, dense and emerald green look all summer long.

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