How to Protect Your Lawn in the Heat

All your hard work in creating a beautiful, lush lawn, can quickly go to waste in times of excessive heat and dryness. If you keep just a few simple things in mind, however, you can help ensure your grass holds up when conditions get tough.

1. Don’t walk on dry grass. Well-watered blades of grass will bounce back when you walk on them. Dry grass, however, will stay tamped down when trodden upon. So when you’re in a dry stretch, try to avoid walking on your lawn. Keep in mind, too much foot traffic is also a problem when the grass is wet as it can cause the soil to become compacted, which prevents air from getting to grassroots.

2. Check your mower blade. If your lawnmower blade is dull, it will shred the grass, causing it to lose moisture. Shredded tips will also turn an unsightly brown. Make sure your blade is sharp so you can get a clean-cut, and keep it at one of the highest settings to maintain taller grass. Tallgrass means deep roots that can reach moisture hiding further down in the soil. 

3. Water in the morning. The ideal time to water your lawn is between 6 am – 10 am. Watering during this time frame prevents water from evaporating too quickly (like it would in the middle of the day) and gives your lawn a chance to dry before nightfall. Watering at night makes your lawn prone to disease.

4. Time your fertilization. If you have a stressed, dried-out lawn on your hands, avoid feeding. Fertilize before the peak of your hot season, then again once things cool off and the rain returns.

Source: Scotts