Home Improvement News Bureau

Summer Lawn Care

Don’t Let the Dog Days of Summer Make Your Lawn Brown

MONEY PIT NEWS BUREAU – August 1, 2004:   If you’ve ever watched your lawn fade from luscious green to wheat-field brown, you know how difficult it can be to maintain a healthy lawn throughout the dog days of summer.   But while summer heat can quickly turn a blanket of green grass in your yard to hayfield, lawns can survive to thrive again with just a few precautions.

Home Improvement expert Debby Robinson, host of the nationally syndicated Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show, says caution is key during these dry months. 

“Your lawn is a valuable asset, and as the daily temperature increases and the amount of moisture decreases, your lawn can become very vulnerable to damage,” says Robinson.  “Grass requires much different care now than in the spring and fall months.”

Tom Kraeutler, Robinson’s co-host on the program which is broadcast to more than 100 radio stations each weekend, explains that your grass can literally sleep through summer if you don’t damage it. 

“The strong summer sun often drives grasses into a semi-dormant state from June until September,” notes Kraeutler.  “While the root structure can survive the dormancy, you have to be very careful not to damage the plant.”

Robinson and Kraeutler offer the following tips to make sure your lawn lasts well into the Fall:

• SUSPEND ROUTINE -While frequent mowing and fertilizing is recommended for spring, says Kraeutler, give it a break for summer.  In hot, dry weather grass often goes into a semi-dormant state and will come back when weather conditions improve.  Mowing once a week is plenty.
• RAISE MOWER HEIGHT – It’s best to keep the grass a little longer in the summer and don’t cut as often.  Cutting too frequently can mean the grass looses more moisture from the cut tips, and mower wheels can leave brown stripes on stressed lawns.  A good mowing height is 2 ½ to 3 inches.
• WATER WISELY - If your lawn is in good shape you can allow your grass to go into a semi-dormant state.   If brown is not your color and you prefer to water, do so very early in the morning to give the lawn a chance to dry by night time to discourage problems with bugs and diseases.  Kraeutler also suggests watering heavily a couple times a week to encourage deeper root growth, rather than light watering every day.  Roots that are closer to the surface are more susceptible to heat.
• INSPECT FOR INSECTS – Bugs, such as grubs, are a common problem from August until October.  They can do a lot of damage, but Robinson advises treating for them – and other insects on an as-needed basis. Grubs eat away the roots of the grass so that you can literally roll back portions of the turf, so it is fairly easy to recognize.  If you’re not sure, call in a professional to properly diagnose treat for insects as needed.

Follow these tips and don’t let the dog days of summer get the best of you – or your lawn.

Print Version

Search Related Topics: Bugs, Pests & Rodents, Lawn & Garden...