15 Essential Summer Lawn Care Tips To Keep Grass Healthy In All Weathers

Hot summers and sudden downpours can be tough on a garden, especially when it comes to a beautiful green lawn, but here's an important summer maintenance tip. He is priceless.

Because many of the best gardening guides are weather dependent, following summer lawn care recommendations can be difficult, meaning it's easy to make common lawn care mistakes.

Whether you're wondering what to do when your lawn is turning yellow in the scorching heat, or trying to figure out the best time to water your lawn as temperatures rise, fear not, our lawn expert team has the answers.

From scorching temperatures to torrential downpours in one minute, summer can be challenging and the best time to take care of your lawn. We turned to lawn experts for advice on how to keep your lawn looking great no matter the weather.

1. Keep mowing in the summer

It may seem simple, but it's important to mow your lawn regularly during the summer months to keep it healthy.

“Weather conditions in July and August can affect how your grass grows,” says Chris McIlroy, weed specialist at The Grass People. “In general, you will find that weeds grow more slowly in the south of the country because it is quite dry and generally warm. If so, we recommend continuing to mow at least every two weeks.”

Chris added: "If you live in the north of England, you may find that regular pruning is required in the summer."

“Mowing serves a bigger purpose in lawn care than just mowing,” says Matt Adams, weed expert and founder of The Relentless Gardener.

“If you leave too much time between mowing and let your grass grow for a long time, it will be harder for your grass to get nutrients and water because regular mowing puts less stress on the root system.”

Matt adds: “Mow your lawn every few days during the summer, this will also encourage growth and keep your lawn healthy.

2. Avoid Mowing After Summer Rain

Summer temperatures are one thing, but a sudden downpour can disrupt your lawn care routine because mowing wet grass isn't good practice.

How long do you have to wait to mow your lawn after it rains? “Focusing on mowing at specific times after rain is less important than on conditions,” says Gemma Vincent, product manager for lawn mower specialist Hayter. “If it rains in summer, the harvest can be harvested an hour after sunrise.” Everything depends on the rain.

“The main thing is the softness of the grass,” says Gemma. “When the ground is wet and soft, there is a risk of cutting the grass and stepping on it. Before you start mowing, you need to make sure that the water runs off the surface and the ground is solid.”

3. Water More Often

Since no rain is expected, it's time to increase watering to keep the lawn moist in the heat. How often you will water your lawn depends on weather conditions, but as a general rule you should supply your lawn with additional potable water during the hot summer months.

“When you water your lawn, you have to make sure the grass is completely submerged in water so that the water reaches the roots,” says Matt.

“Your lawn will be at its hottest during the summer months, so your lawn needs to be watered the most. Water and water the lawn every three to five days until moisture appears on the surface.”

“If your grass is discolored, it could be a sign that you need to water your lawn more often,” advises Matt. "Don't worry about overwatering your lawn because that's usually not possible during the summer months."

The big trend in gardening this year is to take care of the environment and choose a more sustainable lifestyle. Therefore, rainwater or excess water from the kitchen is always preferable for watering lawns during the summer months.

Of course, you should skip watering for a day after 10 mm of rain so that the soil does not become more saturated.

4. Moisturize at the right time

When it comes to watering your lawn, time is of the essence, as the heat of summer can affect results. “Don't water your lawn during the heat of the day, because in the heat the water evaporates and doesn't penetrate deep enough into the soil when you water in the midday sun,” Matt warns.

In the summer, the best time to water your lawn is early in the morning, between 5 and 10 am, depending on the weather.

This is the perfect time because it allows the soil to recover from the previous day's scorching heat, meaning it's more likely to soak up water, as well as keep you from burning glass bottles if you're watering your lawn in full sun.

5. Aerate stressful summer grasses.

“A damaged lawn can be caused by regular footsteps, soil compaction, or drought,” says professional gardener Thea Pitcher (@theapitcheroutdoorcreations on Instagram), who works with garden power tool experts at Toolsstation.

Aeration is the simple process of digging small holes in the grass to loosen compacted soil and make it easier to absorb water. It also prevents poor drainage, which can lead to algae in the lawn.

“You can buy lawn aerators for this, or if you don’t have a big yard and want to exercise, you can use garden pitchforks. Push the fork to a depth of 10 cm and repeat the process every 10-15 cm.

“After aeration is complete, rake the grass and sprinkle it with grass seeds. Then apply lawn mulch (scatter a thin layer of sandy soil all over your lawn). This helps improve the soil structure and prevents the formation of thatch (a buildup of dead grass). It also helps keep the grass level and can be used to fill gaps in the lawn.

6. Fertilizing

It is important to fertilize your lawn regularly during the summer to prevent yellowing of the grass. Lawn fertilization is a year-round job. However, due to the increased stress (higher temperatures) and turf traffic during the summer months, fertilization requires more effort,” says Matt. “The more fertilizer you apply to your lawn, the longer it will stretch and will need additional water as it grows.”

“You can't fertilize your lawn without watering it afterwards. Therefore, it is better to fertilize the lawn early in the morning, before the midday heat, so that the water from the heat in the summer months evaporates and does not penetrate deep enough into the soil.

"The only time you shouldn't fertilize your lawn in the summer is when it's hot," Matt advises. “That's because fertilizer can burn your weeds in hot weather if not watered properly. So conserve your nutrients until the weather gets colder.”

“We recommend using fertilizers with a high nitrogen content in the summer because nitrogen is a key element in keeping your lawn healthy and growing. "Nitrogen also gives your weeds a nice green color."

“Re-mowing in the summer months can cause nitrogen deficiency in the lawn,” says Chris. “Using a slow release spring/summer fertilizer will give your lawn everything it needs to thrive. It also prevents the growth of weeds and moss."

Before the warning: "Do not use spring-summer fertilizers after August, as the high nitrogen content makes them unsuitable for autumn use."

7. Leave the cut grass for protection

Whether or not grass cuttings should be left on the lawn after mowing is hotly debated as it all depends on the weather. The solution for summer grass is usually to leave the clippings in place to provide additional nutrients to the grass underneath.

“It's best to leave grass clippings on your lawn during the summer months, especially when the dry season is forecast, as they act like mulch and hold moisture in the soil, slowing evaporation,” explains Matt.

8. Sharpen your mower blades

For the most efficient lawn mowing, make sure the mower blades are sharp so that the cuts are clean.

“While it may not seem like a big deal, mowing your lawn with dull blades promotes the spread of disease because dull blades tear blades of grass, making them more susceptible to unwanted pests and diseases,” says lawn expert Jay Betts. LawnStarter Lawn Care Specialist.

Especially in the summer, Jay says, “you can see your grass darken after every mowing. Sharp blades leave clean cuts, while dull blades damage the grass and make the blades look like jagged edges.”

9. Adjust the height of the cutting blades

The length or cut length of your grass will determine the quality of your grass under the prevailing weather conditions. Hence, it is important to give your weed a special summer haircut.

“Remember that your weed can be sensitive in very hot weather,” Chris says. “It is best to raise the mower blade. Sharp cuts can damage the grass."

Mowing the grass too short in summer interferes with the normal process of grass photosynthesis. “That's because blades of grass don't have enough surface area to absorb sunlight and the oxygen the grass needs to grow,” says Jay. “As a result, the grass or blade of grass offsets nutrients from its roots, resulting in a weakened root system that allows weeds and other invasive pests and diseases to spread.”

“While the recommended minimum length varies for each type of grass, a general rule of thumb is to keep the grass 1 inch long during the warm season,” says Jay.

10. Focus on TLC

Summer herbs can feel the effects of the moon and the weather, so they may need extra care. “Maybe the spring and early months were tough on your lawn, getting thin or uneven in places,” says Chris. “When you reseed your garden in the summer, the damaged areas will be repaired, you will have a beautiful green lawn and your lawn will come back to life.”

Chris explains that, just like planting grass seed in the spring, there are a few steps to follow:

• Prepare the garden: weed the lawn, remove large stones, gravel, etc.

• Clean and fertilize the soil with a fast acting fertilizer.

• Moisten the soil and then sow the seeds

• After transplanting, water and roll the grass

11. Pest Control

We humans are not the type to prefer to use the lawn only when the sun is shining. Therefore, you need to be very careful not to spoil the bow.

“Now that all wildlife is taking advantage of the warm weather, you can be sure pests will be around,” Chris said. “The two most common pests you will encounter in your garden during the summer are leather jackets and ants, and they can all be dealt with in the same way.”

“Leather jackets are brown worms that eat the roots of your grass, causing it to die and turn yellow. Therefore, if you notice yellowing in certain areas of the lawn, you may have an unexpected guest, says Chris. - Another clear sign of leather jacket infestation is that birds are very attracted to your grass and will try to peck at its surface and eat. This."

“Leather jackets can be treated with the Steinernemafeltiae nematode (found in the Amazon), which naturally kills leather jackets when sprayed,” advises Chris.

“If you notice that the soil in your yard is disturbed, you probably have ants,” Chris says. “In most cases, their mounds are considered unusable and the ants have to be tolerated without treatment. Mounds can be washed away with grass or a lawn mower, and after a few days they will be almost invisible.

If you're worried about keeping ants out, or "worried about ant species in your yard, you should see a professional," Chris advises.

12. Beware of Dangerous Humidity

Anyone with the best anti-moisture hair products knows all too well about the dangers of moisture. Not only our hair can become victims of summer humidity, but also grass.

“Unfortunately, while we all love a little warm weather, high humidity and intermittent rain are a breeding ground for weed diseases,” Chris says.

Chris describes the areas you need to focus on to prevent the summer weed from developing disease. “There is a risk of death of new seedlings. Natural mushrooms thrive in wet weather. It can infect seedlings as they begin to germinate, preventing them from coming out of the soil or causing them to grow and then die. »

“You will know that your new seedlings are steaming because they are not growing properly and are covered in white mold. Moisture is inevitable so avoid "soaring", make sure your seedlings are not planted too close together (they need room to grow and don't bunch up) and don't overwater. If your seedlings are damaged, they cannot be salvaged, but you can remove them and replant the area.

“Red thread is also caused by a fungus and hot and humid weather doesn’t help,” Chris says. "You should fertilize your lawn regularly to prevent red threads from getting into your lawn."

13. Change direction while cutting

A differentiated mowing pattern over time will help strengthen your grass and provide more resilience, which is especially important when climate change and heavy summer use push grass to its limits.

“Different mowing patterns are good for your lawn because you don't force the grass to bend in a certain direction over and over again,” says Carlos Real, lawn care expert and CEO of TotalLawn.

Thea adds: “When mowing sloping lawns, it's best to mow from side to side. This method makes it easier to maintain a stable balance.

14. Serve Your Kinds of Weed

Because lawns are under more stress than usual during the summer, it's important to know how much your lawn can take during these months with the best care.

“Most of the herbs or grass seeds you can buy are made from mixtures of perennial herbs,” Thea says. “This type of grass is known for its long life and low maintenance requirements, allowing it to withstand uneven mowing and heavy foot traffic. They are perfect for low maintenance herbs in the summer.”

“In contrast, small grass on bowling or golf courses needs to be mowed more frequently to maintain the desired appearance. These lawns need regular mowing to keep them looking their best.

15. Let the weeds rest

As mentioned earlier, summer lawns can experience additional "stress" during the summer months and therefore need time to rest and recover.

From garden parties to barbeques, traffic will pick up quickly if you don't give your lawn a little extra attention in the heat of summer. Not to mention intense heat and sudden downpours, a well-groomed summer lawn can be a real challenge even when everything is going well.

Avoid any lawn activity until enough much-needed fertilizer has been applied for the grass to effectively absorb the nutrients.

Excellent smoothing and lawn care in late summer