Whether you knew it or not, late summer means a change in how to care for your lawn.
We know, we know. Yet another thing to worry about amidst a pandemic, smoke-filled air, and more.
Well, we can help with that: get a FREE quote here!
Or, you can help yourself and your lawn with these 5 quick-tips to preserve and prepare your summer lawn for the last run into Fall.
Key Takeaways
Late summer lawn care essentials:- Proper Watering: Deep, infrequent watering fosters deep root growth.
- Mowing Techniques: Mowing with a higher blade setting promotes healthy lawn growth.
- Attention to Weeds: Addressing weeds promptly prevents them from overtaking healthy grass.
- Fertilization: Late summer fertilization prepares the lawn for fall and strengthens it against pests and diseases.
What Should You Do for your Late Summer Lawn Care?
1. Watering in the early morning
Nothing too crazy or out of the ordinary. But, you’ll want to start with changing your watering times to the early AM.
Why?
This is the coolest time of the day with summer still here, and it will allow the grass to soak up every last drop to maintain throughout the warm day without being affected by evaporation or wind.
Need a recommendation for timing? Try between 4 - 10 AM. Maybe have a cup of coffee first.
Pro Tip: Start to cut your grass at a higher level than before. This will provide more shade for the soil to stay cooler for longer.
Speaking of cutting your grass…
2. When was the last time you checked your lawn mower blade?
Like a good chef’s knife, you want an always-sharp mower blade. We won’t judge you if you haven’t checked all summer. But you’re going to want to see what you’re working with right now because believe or not a clean cut will keep your lawn healthy and help retain water.
Obviously, you can eyeball your blade to determine if it’s dull. Another method is to look at the grass edges after a fresh cut: are they ragged or clean cut? That will give you your answer.
So, how exactly do you go about sharpening a lawn mower blade to retake control of your summer lawn?
The answer is completely up to you.
A few of the common options are to file by hand, find a blade sharpener drill bit attachment, a suitable grindstone, drop off at a local small engine shop, or any method you’re jazzed to try out.
Just be careful, okay? You don’t want to prematurely end your hand modeling career.
3. Weeds. The roaches of the lawn care world!
This is the bane of any homeowners summer lawn care routine. Unfortunately, your weed problem is just as persistent as ever now as it was in the beginning.
But you’re up for the challenge, right?
The tried and true option for weed control is to keep on pulling so it doesn’t grow to be out of control. And to double-down on a an in-lawn broadleaf, spray-on weed killer to keep them at bay.
Pro Tip: If you are pulling weeds, be sure to water down to the roots 24 hours before. This should help ensure you get the entire root. Also, make sure to get the correct spray for the type of weed you are dealing with.
And you’ll want to be mindful of where you spray. If you have or plan to grow other things outside of grass, just be careful of both where you spray and the type of spray.
It could be a determinate to your vegetable plans. But no one likes broccoli anyways.
4. Add fertilizer, the good kind.
Not all fertilizers are created equal, but you’ll want to find one made especially for late summer heading into the Fall.
During the warmer months is when your grass experiences rapid growth and damage (heat, insects, etc.) which is why you need to apply fertilizer to keep it healthy.
Just like your growing teenager, there’s never enough food in the house to keep them satisfied.
Look for fertilizers with soil-amending properties to slow release nitrogen to give your lawn the boost it needs to carry you through the remainder of summer!
It will also serve you well to preserve key nutrients for a triumphant return next spring.
5. Give us a call.
Does everything above seem like too much work or a little too late?
We get it. I mean, our slogan is “Hire us and take your weekend back!” for good reason.
It may not be too late to save your lawn or at least get it ready for a better start next spring.
We love what we do and we like to think we do it well. That’s why we offer a Free Quote here!
No matter what, we hope this was helpful and we look forward to sharing more pro lawn care tips and tricks with you!
With grass-stained clothes and smiles on our faces -- thank you for reading!
- Cory’s Lawn Care Services