Why We Care About Lawn Care

In the summer, when the weather’s sunny and warm, a green, well-tended lawn makes outdoor activities like games, barbecues, and swimming in a pool more fun and lifts your spirits. Conversely, contemplating a brown-spotted unappealing yard can be downright depressing.

Fortunately, summer lawn and landscape care is far from being an impossible task. You just have to know how to go about it. Follow these pointers to have a lawn that will look as good or better than any other in the neighborhood.

Summer Lawn Care: Water (Properly)

It’s a common misconception than when it’s hot, the most important aspect of watering is watering a lot. The truth, however, is that watering correctly will benefit plants far more than simply pouring copious amounts of water on them. To make sure the water you provide is actually helping your plants as much as possible, do the following:

• Water less often, but deeply. Your lawn should receive at least one inch of water in any given week.
• Water when it’s cool so the heat won’t evaporate the water before it ever reaches the roots of the plants. Early morning is ideal. Evening is your second best choice.
• Consider drip irrigation instead of sprinklers and hoses. Drip irrigation has the advantage of preventing runoff or evaporation by watering plants slowly. Also, some drip irrigation systems attach to a hose bib and offer the convenience of a timer. That comes in handy if you’re going to be away from home for more than a day.

Summer Lawn Care: Mow (Correctly)

There’s a temptation to mow grass as short as possible. Cutting it short should require you to perform this particular lawn maintenance chore less often, right? But the reality is that grass mowed too short is less resilient. Leaving it a little longer allows it to retain its ability to thrive even in less than ideal conditions.

Summer Lawn Care: Take All the Steps Needed to Help Your Lawn Thrive

Regular mowing is vital, but it’s not the only thing you need to attend to for optimal lawn maintenance. You should also do the following:

• Have the lawn aerated. This is improves oxygen flow.
• Have the soil pH balance checked. Your want the proper balance for the grass.
• If allowed to remain, weeds steal nutrients from the grass.
• Fertilize to provide adequate nutrients.

Summer Lawn Care: Take Care of Your Plants Too

You can make caring for outdoor plants easier and more effective by doing these things:

• Choose plants native to your area. They’re best adapted to dealing with the kind of weather you see at your home and will likely need less water, especially if they’re drought-tolerant or low-water. (The professionals at a lawn care service can help you choose drought-tolerant or low-water plants and turf varieties.)
• But even if you have low-water plants, water regularly and make sure they get as much water as they need.
• Add mulch to pots so they’ll retain more water.
• Put plants where they’ll have shade to reduce evaporation.

If you need help with any aspect of summer lawn care, we invite you to contact the experts at Country Landscape. We’re here to help you.