Summer is a great time for having some awesome outdoor fun under the hot Texas summer sun on your home’s lawn. However, all this activity (and don’t forget the bugs) can take a heavy toll on your lawn and nobody wants their lawn to look like a barren wasteland, especially after all the good times it lets you have.
Now that this year’s summer season is coming to an end, it’s a great time to give your lawn some much-needed TLC. Remember, your lawn says a lot about your household. So making sure it looks nothing less than stellar is essential to creating a positive environment.
Let’s take a look at some of our favorite late-summer lawn care tips to keep your lawn in tip-top shape now as well as year-round.
7 Late-summer lawn care tips
- Mow your lawn at the right height:
When you mow your lawn, you’re helping to cultivate a healthier lawn while reducing the risk of weeds and lawn disease from growing. We may be nearing the end of summer, but there’s still plenty of time until the colder months arrive.Your grass height plays a key role in how much sunlight reaches the base of the grass. We find that keeping the height between 2 ½ and 3 inches in length works perfectly. Anything shorter than that and you risk damaging the root system which makes it harder to survive the colder and drier seasons.Leaving it too long, on the other hand, raises the risk of fungal growth. That being said, mowing frequently and never removing more than one-third of the leaf surface should work just fine.
- Provide your lawn with adequate watering:
The best way to achieve healthy-looking grass growth is to water your lawn deeply but keep it infrequently. Contrary to popular belief, letting your lawn partially dry up between irrigations is actually very beneficial for its long-term health.Luckily, you don’t have to go crazy using a variety of measuring devices. Keep things simple by making sure you provide your lawn with at least an inch of water each week. That being said, if you prefer having more control, you can use a rain gauge which will help you keep track of how much water you give your lawn.Whether you use a sprinkler or irrigation system to keep your lawn hydrated, make sure your watering system is winter-ready so you don’t have to deal with frozen pipes.
- Apply weed-control measures:
Maintaining a gorgeous-looking lawn requires a large investment in time and money. The growth of weeds in your lawn can have very destructive consequences. Especially since they grow faster than grass and plants.At the first sign that you observe weeds growing on your lawn, you should make sure to remove them at once even if by hand. They may seem harmless at first, but once they start producing seeds and spreading out, containing and eliminating them can be an arduous task.Luckily, you can still get the lawn you want by controlling your weeds problems head-on. In addition to yanking weeds out by hand, you can also use many of the effective weed killer sprays on the market. Due to their chemical composition, it is recommended to hire lawn care professionals to assist in controlling your weeds.
Test your soil and add fertilizer:
When it comes to maintaining a healthy lawn, a soil test can provide crucial information you can use to maintain its longevity and beauty. Conducting a soil test can provide you with an accurate assessment of how fertile your soil currently is.This information can be used to determine how much fertilizer you’ll need. The end of a long, hot summer can be like the end of a long drought for your lawn. Therefore, you should inject your lawn with a shot of nitrogen-based fertilizer to help the grass grow before the fall season.Fertilizing your lawn is one of the most important procedures that can help ensure that your grass stays healthy for the upcoming months.
- Don’t let dogs urinate on your lawn:
Dogs are known to create dead spots on lawns when they urinate on the grass. This is due to the high amount of nitrogen and related salts that are naturally contained in dog urine.If you notice dying grass where your pooch previously urinated on, you should immediately rinse out the area with water to dilute the urine.In addition, cleaning up the area will help speed up the recovery process of these dead spots. If you do have pets in your household, it is recommended to create an area that contains gravel and mulch and train your dog on how to use it accordingly.
- Leave your grass clippings on the grass:
Grasscycling is the process of letting your grass clippings lie on the lawn. Since they contain about 4% nitrogen, they can actually be used to feed your grass with the 25% of nitrogen it needs each year.Grass clipping can also act as a natural form of mulch which helps it maintain soil moisture to mitigate the effects of drought stress.
Not only does this help keep your grass with vibrant green color, but it also helps you save time, money, and fertilizer throughout the year. - Keep your mower blades sharp:
If it’s been a good while since you’ve checked your lawnmower blades, you should do so before cutting your lawn. A sharp lawnmower blade actually helps your grass retain its water and keeps your grass looking healthy.Dull lawn mower blades raise the risk of tearing grass and creating brown edges that organisms and insects will find quite welcoming. Lawnmower blades should be sharpened on a regular basis and should be changed approximately after 10 hours of use.
Fallas Landscape provides the most comprehensive late summer lawn care services in Texas. Our lawn care experts can help ensure that your lawn can withstand the threats from drought periods, invasive weeds, pesky insects, and much more.
Get in touch with our office today!
