Key Takeaways
Lawn revival made easy:- Regular Maintenance: Consistent care is key to preventing lawn issues.
- Proper Watering Techniques: Deep, infrequent watering promotes stronger roots.
- Seasonal Fertilization: Fertilizing at the right times supports healthy growth.
- Professional Assistance: Expert services can diagnose and treat complex problems.
Did you know reviving your lawn is possible even during a screaming-hot Reno-Sparks summer? With a bit of care, you can transform that dull and lifeless grass into a thick, lush lawn with a vibrant shade of green.
Just because your grass is brown and lifeless doesn’t mean it’s dead. Fortunately, it’s easier to tell the difference between dead grass and dormant grass than you might think. Give your lawn a gentle tug—if there’s resistance, the grass can be revived!
To learn how this is possible, read on. With the following five foolproof tips, you can quickly and easily restore your lawn to its former glory, no matter how hot and dry the weather. Goodbye, brown, barren, patchy grass. Hello, resilient, lovely, verdant lushness!
1. Water, Water, Water
In high-desert regions, proper watering techniques make all the difference in keeping your lawn healthy all summer long. Yes, your grass is parched and thirsty, but overwatering it can do as much damage as underwatering. To ensure the proper amount of water is applied to your lawn, cycling your watering is recommended:
Although this process is manual, either built-in sprinklers or a rotary sprinkler will work.
Map your lawn into sections, ensuring the water hits all areas as evenly as possible.
Cycle through each section, watering for five to ten-minute intervals.
Once you’ve completed the process and the water has been absorbed, repeat it. This ensures the water will penetrate your turf.
Watch for puddling, and immediately move on to the next section when this occurs. Puddling indicates that the area is no longer absorbing water properly.
Extra Tip!
The best time to water your high desert lawn is in the morning when the dew point is lower (meaning it is cooler) and there is less wind. This is how you avoid evaporation and ensure the water gets to the roots. To determine the proper watering times for each watering day, make sure to check out the local Washoe ET Project for guidance.
2. Be Strategic with Your Mowing
Believe it or not, cutting your lawn too short can actually kill it. Cutting off too much of the leaf blade inhibits your lawn's ability to use photosynthesis and store energy. Here are some tips:
Err on the side of longer grass. You can still keep your grass neat but don't scalp it. Aim for your grass to be 2 to 3 inches long through the growing season.
Do not mow more than 1/3rd of grass blade at a time. If you lawn is 3.5" do not cut off more than 1" of grass.
Alternate mowing patterns each time to optimize lawn growth.
Fresh, minimally cut grass clippings can be used as mulch and act as a natural fertilizer. Ensure the clippings are not clumped up to make certain it is returning the nutrients to your lawn.
3. Essential Nutrients for a Healthy Summer Lawn
An important strategy to help you revive your lawn involves feeding it. The following nutrients are critical to keeping your lawn green and resilient to drought and extreme heat.
At the top of the list is nitrogen. Nitrogen gives a lawn a verdant green color and ensures each blade grows straight and strong.
Your desert lawn needs phosphorus to develop and maintain good root health. Vigorous root growth translates to a lush, thick, and verdant turf.
Potassium is essential for ensuring your lawn can withstand the stresses that come with extreme heat and drought. It helps grass be more efficient in absorbing water and nutrients to build thick, strong cell walls.
Calcium and magnesium are essential additives to good lawn fertilizer. Calcium boosts cell growth, while magnesium ensures your lawn can get all the chlorophyll needed to convert sunlight into food.
Extra Tip!
How and when you feed your lawn is imperative. Feeding your lawn will depend on the type of feeding as well as how much nitrogen (N) you put in your lawn. We recommend you put down 4 to 5lbs of nitrogen per season, per 1,000 sq-ft. Additionally, make sure to avoid "quick release" nitrogen during hot parts of the season.
4. Be Smart About Weed Control
As a Reno homeowner, reviving your lawn by systematically eliminating weeds is possible. Fortunately, this doesn’t require hours of yard work each week. Usually, 20 minutes or less once a week will do the trick.
Remember, smart weed control means controlling your weeds by removing them the moment they appear. This ensures they don’t get out of control.
Weeds are more resilient than grass. Unfortunately, the hotter it is, the stronger and faster your weeds will grow. A great trick is to remove or treat weeds with a herbicide application. This will stop them from competing for precious groundwater and keep your lawn looking fantastic.
5. Don’t Forget to Aerate
Core aerating your lawn once a year in the spring will help keep your grass strong and resilient once the extreme summer weather hits. Aeration does a couple of things.
Relieves soil compaction: This is important for lawns, especially in high-traffic areas. When soil gets tamped down, roots become more challenging to remain healthy.
Reduces thatch: Thatch is a layer of roots and leaves that settle between your lawn and the soil. While some thatch is natural and healthy, too much can lead to stunted roots and a weak, unhealthy lawn.
Extra Tip!
After aerating, consider adding a thin layer of compost to the soil (usually around a quarter of an inch). Not only will this feed the soil naturally, but it will help strengthen the roots ahead of the growing season.
With some care, you can revive your lawn to create a lush oasis of green that will withstand the hottest and driest of high-desert summer days. Cory’s Lawn Service is dedicated to providing the highest quality lawn service in the Reno-Sparks region. Schedule your next lawn service today.