9 Lawn Care Tips Every Homeowner Should Consider During Summer

Summer heat is great, sometimes pampering. But along with it comes sun burn and drying lawns. The latter can easily give a homeowner sleepless nights mostly because there little one can do to reduce sun effects on vegetation. That may be the case, but there is certainly something you can do to retain the allure of your lawns during summer. The following tips should come in handy and save the day. Mow at the right height This should be easy for anyone who has mowed before. You only need to adjust the height of your lawn mower. That way, you can leave some grass on your lawn. Tall grass as you will find out shades soil. This reduces water evaporation and leads to deeper grass roots which can go a long way to prevent weed seeds from germinating. Keep in mind that there is no ideal mowing height. It all boils down to your grass type. Simply time you mowing. That is the only way you will not end up removing more than a third of your green surface. Water infrequently

You don’t need a lot of water for the healthiest grass. You only need enough. With that in mind, consider an automated lawn irrigation system to help you maintain your lawn during summer. First off, find out from the local authorities if there are regulations in place that govern irrigation systems. Consider too what kind of equipment you will need and how much the entire project will cost you. Remember to go for rain sensors. They prevent sprinklers from running during or after a rainfall. This can help you reduce your water and electricity bills by a significant margin. Clean up after pooches Your dog can cause ugly dead spots on your lawn. So the next time you notice dying grass on your lawn, talk to your dog or cat. Then flash the area with dying grass with water so as to dilute the pet urine in the soil. Another solution is to create a pebbled or mulched area on your lawn and train your pet to use the area for bathroom breaks. Remember to also clean up messes on your lawn as soon as you notice them. Do not park on the grass Parking or driving on the lawn especially during summer is never a good idea. It only leads to soil compaction which in turn causes a host of other problems such as dead grass. You may even have to limit foot traffic on your lawn to avoid damaging your grass. Sharpen mower blades Blunt and rugged mower blades can do more harm than good to your lawn. They can create ragged brown edges which can be an eyesore. The brown edges may harbor disease causing microorganisms or bugs. Simply sharpen your mower as often as you can. Remember that a sharp mower’s blade can only last for 10 hours. That is of course, after mowing. After that, you must take time to sharpen the blades again. Consider getting an extra set of blades. That way, you will always have extra blades when you need to mow. Fertilize There is no way anything green will grow without the right nutrients. So fertilize your lawn, especially if you have warm season grasses. Then avoid fertilizing cool season lawns during summer. That may harm the grass. Simply wait until fall or spring. Tackle weeds Weeds will always crop up, especially if you fertilize your lawn from time to time. Deal with them as they appear. Apply weed control in the middle of summer or early fall. That is the only way you can deal with cool season weeds and other lawn setbacks such as dandelion or perennial weed problems. Tackle too pests that come along with weeds or seem to attract weeds by dispersing their seeds. Do not mix grass This is one problem most homeowners make. Mixing grass species will only ruin your lawn. Some species are stronger than others. Others simply need more water and nutrients. The stronger and more demanding species will choke the other. You will therefore end up with a funny looking lawn, complete with ugly dry spot as well as weeds. Hire professionals Do this if you have to. As you will find out or as you probably already know, lawn maintenance is not an easy task. This is especially the case if you have a big lawn. Proper maintenance as already hinted, takes into account mowing grass to the right height, fertilizing, irrigating, tackling weeds and choosing the right grass species. All these factors may sound like calculus to an average Joe. Your best bet is to contact a professional. It is the only way you can get the job done well and on time. Finding a professional should be easy, thanks to the proliferating number of landscaping and hardscaping service providers available.