Summer Lawn Care Tips

Summer is in full swing and the heat is on, especially in Texas. We’ve talked about ways to prepare your home for summer, but how do you care for your lawn during peak summer heat? In this blog, we’ll explore ways to keep your lawn lush and green amidst mother nature’s most ferocious season in Texas.

Water Your Lawn

This seems like a no-brainer, but it’s one of the most important ways to keep your lawn healthy during the heat of the summer. When temperatures are above 80 degrees, your lawn begins to suffer. Its color begins to fade and the blades of grass can become brittle. It also grows slower during intense heat, so it requires a little extra water to maintain its health. Typically, lawns require 1-1.5 inches of water per week, but this greatly depends on where you live. Nevertheless, whether it’s from rainfall or irrigation, you’ll need to give your lawn the water it needs on a daily basis. To check your moisture levels, grab a screwdriver and gently poke around your lawn to see how easily the soil penetrates. You can also use a rain gauge or an empty can to see how much you’re currently watering. Of course, always be mindful of water conservation. The last thing you want to do is be wasteful. Not only will this make your lawn swampy, it will use up a valuable resource. As a quick reference, here are some additional watering tips to consider during the summer:

- Water in the morning to avoid evaporation and fungal growth.

- Water deep and less often to reach drought-tolerant roots.

- Water your lawn regularly to keep it from turning brown. However, if it does turn dark, you should not over water your lawn. We recommend keeping it that way until the seasons change. It should recover in time.

Mow Your Lawn

Another way to maintain a healthy lawn is to mow it regularly. Typically, taller grass has longer, drought-tolerant roots and can prevent weeds from germinating due to the additional shade it provides. As a rule of thumb, your grass should be 2 to 3 inches in the summer. Of course, the height of your lawn mower blades should reflect what time of year it is. The higher the blade, the more often you need to mow. Make sure to sharpen your blades regularly to maintain an efficient cut. We also recommend spreading mulch grass clippings to further help the moisture. Additionally, try not to cut more than ⅓ of your grass at a time. This prevents clippings from smothering your lawn.

Control Your Weeds

Summer is the perfect time to remove budding weeds before they set in the following year. We recommend using a post-emergent herbicide to wipe out weeds without harming your grass. However, you should keep in mind that they should only be applied below 85 degrees for several days, so it’s probably best to take care of this earlier in the season. Also, it’s important to keep in mind that any weed controlling product can be damaging to your lawn in the heat of the summer, so if you haven’t taken care of this by now, you should wait until next year to apply.

Prevent Insects

If your lawn is browning or drought-ridden, you may be susceptible to an insect infestation. Most minor infestations take care of themselves, but if it gets out of control, you’ll have to take action. Bugs like sod webworms, fleas, fire ants, chinch bugs, and mosquitoes can do a great deal of harm to your lawn, so we recommend using their related products to combat them. Follow the instruction labels carefully and try not to use too many at one time.

If you’d like to learn other home care tips, head over to the Britton Homes blog. Want to learn more about our luxury homes? Visit us online or talk to a representative today!