Lawn Care Tips for the Dog Days of Summer

With summer in full swing in Pittsburgh, the hot, humid days and rainy evenings may be taking a toll on your lawn’s health.  If your lawn is suffering due to the high heat, losing its lush texture and healthy green color, follow these lawn care tips to beat the heat and put the beauty back into your lawn.

Water Properly and Consistently

Consistent watering during the summer months is crucial to keeping your lawn healthy. Water your lawn in the morning while the weather is cooler to allow more water to soak into the ground before the temperature rises and causes the water to evaporate.

Water your lawn consistently a few times a week in half-hour increments to ensure it gets 1-1 1/2 inches of water. You should also avoid watering your lawn in the evening to prevent turf diseases and fungus from becoming an issue. The type of watering equipment can be chosen based on your preferences. The primary goal should be to water in the morning, watering heavily and consistently each week.

Feed Your Lawn for Optimal Health

Feeding is also important to ensure your lawn gets the nutrients it needs to look healthy and survive the higher temperatures. By feeding your lawn with grass food on a regular basis, you can grow a thicker, fuller lawn that will cool the soil in the summer heat.

Don’t Mow Too Short

Mowing is a significant part of lawn health, so in the summer it is essential to have a proper mowing technique to keep your lawn healthy. It’s important not to mow your grass lower than 3” to help encourage new growth in your lawn. It is also important to remember never take off more than 1/3 of the total leaf surface when mowing.

By keeping the grass longer, you provide shade that keeps the soil cool and moist, and you also provide more leaf area for photosynthesis, allowing the grass to grow stronger roots, prevent weeds, and encourage new growth. You should also avoid weed whacking the edges of your lawn low to help prevent weeds or crabgrass from growing there.

Mow at the Right Time with the Proper Equipment

It is important to keep your mower blades sharp to ensure a clean cut. If your blades are dull, it could cause the blade to smash the end of the grass rather than cut it. This tearing can cause the grass to become brown and become more likely to be infested with pests or disease.

You should mow your lawn in the morning while the weather is still cool. Mowing in the afternoon creates a dangerous combination of heat from the sun and the mowing action that could burn your grass.

Regular Professional Lawn Maintenance 

Another way you can ensure your lawn can survive the high heat of the summer months is to have it managed by a Superior Lawn Care Technician. As part of our annual Five-Application Lawn Program, we use a combination of custom-blended fertilizer and broadleaf weed control to keep your lawn looking its best for the summer. We service all of southwestern PA, including Belle Vernon, Upper St. Clair, Wexford, Cranberry, and throughout the Pittsburgh area. Contact Superior Lawn Care today to learn more about our lawn care programs.