The Lazy Guide to Summer Lawn Care
Hey guys, It’s Pete Moss here. I don’t know about you, but I’m pooped. I’m tired of working in the yard every weekend. It’s summer, can’t I just enjoy my yard without being a slave to it?
Yes, you can!
Summer is here. It’s hot. It’s dry. Don’t fight this, and yard work will be a lot easier.
This is the time to keep your lawn alive, but it may not be the time your lawn will look like a golf course fairway. The more you learn to live with it, the better you are.
Cut your grass a bit higher in the hot months. Try mowing every other week, or every ten days. This helps your lawn conserve water. Then, watch out for soil insects. Grubs love the summer months. They love to chew up the roots of your grass. They make those brown patches in your grass. If you see little white moths coming out of the grass as you mow, you’ve got grubs. Pull back a bit of sod, look at the soil and you may see little white grubs down there in your all-you-can-eat root buffet. No matter how much you water there, the grass just does not grow. That’s because there are no roots left. Apply grub control granules, water this in and you’re on your way to a healthier lawn.
Apply Revive to your lawn this time of year. Revive is a wetting agent that helps water get down in to the soil. It will cut back on the amount of water you use and keep your lawn healthier during these hot months. Revive comes in a liquid form, spray it on at the end your hose, or granules, spread then water in. Easy, effective and made right here in Colorado for our soils.
Don’t over fertilize this time of year. Pouring on tons of nitrogen trying to get your lawn to be greener will just make more work for you. More short-term growth, more need for water, more need for care. Better to fertilize in spring and fall. If your lawn is just not green enough for you, try using Ironite. This is a granular product that contains a lot of iron and will green your lawn nicely without causing the rapid growth.
Watch your watering. Do not try to water during the hot parts of the day. You lose so much to evaporation in the heat. It’s just not worth the trouble. Water at night, when it’s cool. Water early morning when there’s no wind. Water when your grass is in the shade. Keep a good schedule of watering too. Two days a week is enough to keep your lawn alive, not waste water and not make more work for you. Water deep, let your sprinkler run a long time and really soak in. A deep watering twice a week is better than a short-shallow watering four times a week.
This may look like a lot of work, but it’s not. Do these basic things and your lawn will be healthy and happy without it demanding all your attention. Then you can take that extra time to enjoy the summer. Go ahead, sit out there and have a cold drink or two! Pete Moss said it’s okay!