When summer arrives, many homeowners feel that maintaining their yards is at its peak. Grass seems to grow overnight, green spots can suddenly appear for no reason, and many species of grass can even turn completely brown in a matter of days. This is all on top of colorful and thirsty garden plants that require more attention than ever, and the typical weeds, bugs, and diseases that plague yards during warmer weather. The reality is that maintaining a beautiful yard in the summer is hard work, but there is no need to make it a grueling, unhealthy, endeavor.
A healthy yard in summer doesn’t have to be a garden that requires hours of labor. Make your yard look healthy by paying attention to the plants and using techniques to conserve time and reduce work during the heat of summer.
In an attempt to keep a yard in good shape during the hot summer months, many people give their grass and plants too much unnecessary work. When you understand the way in which the yard and humans interact during the summer months, you will realize that much of the yard work that is needed can be greatly alleviated and can actually be very positive if approached with the correct mindset. The objective of summer lawn care is not to strive for an ideal yard; rather, it is to enable your grass and flowers to get through the hot weather in good shape, and to allow you to get through the same period of time in good shape as well.
Understand How Heat Affects Your Yard
Your lawn & garden change with the seasons. In the heat of summer, the soil’s ability to hold moisture for plant roots to absorb is compromised. The blades of grass turn from a bright, dark green color to a dry, brittle brown as they suffer from heat stress. Lawns that receive direct afternoon sun will typically suffer the most from the high temperatures.
Heat stress isn’t always instantaneous and can take several days to reveal itself. For instance, your lawn might look healthy in the morning only to be wilting by the end of the day. Leaves of some plants might curl up or droop while others develop faded or discolored tips and edges that have turned brown. In addition to this, many species of plants simply stop producing new growth in order to conserve their energy for survival.
Just because a plant has some of these signs does not mean that it has died. It could just be going through some stress caused by some of the high temperatures.
Check the soil first and see if it needs any more water or if it needs any fertilizer. Insert your finger into the soil a few inches deep. If the soil is still damp then do not water. If the soil is dry then the roots of the plants need more water.
Pay attention to the small signs of trouble and avoid overreacting with watering or fertilizing.
Water Deeply and at the Right Time
When it comes to watering your yard in the summer, there are many factors to consider. Not only do you have to worry about how often to water, but also when and how deep to water as well.
Watering in the early morning is best as the air is cooler and there is less wind to cause water to evaporate before it can penetrate deep into the soil. Avoid watering in the middle of the day as the water will likely evaporate quickly. Watering in the evening can cause the foliage to remain wet overnight creating an environment where diseases thrive.
Deep watering is better than frequent surface watering. Water that penetrates deep into the soil encourages roots to grow deep into the soil. When roots grow deep into the soil, they are better protected from the heat and from surface drying. How long to water depends on soil type. Sandy soils typically need more and more frequent watering. Clay soils can go longer between waterings but can become compacted and need to be checked for root rot from excess water.
Extended periods of hot weather mean lawns will need longer sessions of watering and less frequency in between. However, the length of time your lawn needs between waterings will be greatly affected by your soil type. Soils with high sand content will typically need to be watered more frequently, whereas lawns built with high clay content can usually go longer without water as the soil holds more moisture for longer periods of time. However, clay lawns do have a higher risk of becoming waterlogged which can cause its own set of problems and could lead to root rot and other lawn diseases. To combat this, it’s a good idea to add organic matter to your clay lawn throughout the year in order to improve drainage.
Using mulch in garden beds is also very effective at reducing evaporation from the soil and also at maintaining a stable soil temperature. The thickness of the mulch is important and a minimum of 2 inches (5 cm) and a maximum of 3 inches (7.5 cm) of wood chips, shredded bark, straw or other suitable mulching material should be spread over the bed. It is also very important to keep the mulch away from the stems of plants and the trunks of trees to prevent moisture from becoming trapped and causing decay.
Adjust Your Mowing Routine
Don’t mow your grass too short during hot weather. When grass is cut too short, it doesn’t provide enough shade on the soil. As a result, moisture can evaporate too quickly. Open soil also gives weeds like crabgrass an advantage. Raise your mower to a higher mowing height to promote deeper root growth and to create a barrier on the soil to stop moisture from evaporating.
If possible, raise your mower’s mowing height to create taller grass. The new taller grass will form a denser sward and develop deeper roots, producing a stronger lawn and allowing the grass to produce more shade at the soil level, thus reducing moisture loss more quickly. The ideal mowing height will vary with different types of grass but always cut no more than one-third of the blade length at any one time to avoid stressful shredding.
Keep your lawnmower or equipment blade sharp. A dull blade will rip your lawn rather than giving a clean cut, causing pale or brown tips on the grass. This is stressed grass, and as already said, stressed grass will not grow.
Avoid mowing your lawn in the middle of the day when it is hot outside. This is just as hard on your lawn as it is on you. The best time for mowing is late in the afternoon or early in the morning. If you have to mow when it is wet outside, try to make sure that your grass is not so wet that it will form into uneven cuts in the lawn or clog up your mower. A lawn mower shade canopy can also be a great addition to your lawn mower for people who have to mow a large lawn. It can help to keep you in the shade while you are mowing, which can be very comfortable during the hot summer months. But remember that it is not a substitute for sunscreen, a hat, and cold drinks.
Don’t mistake a drought-stressed lawn for one that is actively growing and in need of a mow. If your lawn is not growing, then there is no need to mow it. Mowing a dormant lawn can cause extreme stress to the grass, leading to disease, insect problems, or even death.
Protect Garden Plants From Extreme Conditions
Make sure to support your various vegetables, flowers, shrubs, and trees during extremely hot weather. Newly planted plants can be particularly affected because their roots have not yet grown down into the soil surrounding the roots of the new plant.
During a hot spell a temporary shade cloth can provide protection to sensitive plants. It should be placed above the leaves, not draped over them, to allow for air to circulate and for the material not to be hot itself.
Container gardens also need to be monitored and maintained more closely than plants in the ground. The pot and soil in it heat up quickly and may need to be watered daily. Dark-colored containers can become especially hot.
To stop your containers from drying out as fast, try to move them to a location that receives morning sun and afternoon shade. Also grouping your pots together will help to stop moisture from leaking out as fast, and also create a small, humid area for plants to thrive in.
Pruning of all types should be kept to a minimum as plants are already stressed from heat. Pruning removes leaves from plants which in turn means that the leaves are unable to shade the plants’ surfaces and the soil around them. Also, any new growth that may occur as a result of pruning is likely to be sensitive to further stress. It is best to do any pruning that is necessary in cooler weather.
Remove any Dead, damaged, or Diseased plant material as necessary but avoid heavy pruning as it removes leaves which would otherwise shade the branches and soil. It is also likely to promote new growth, which will not tolerate such stressful conditions.
