Top Tips for Late-Summer Lawn Care
The lazy days of summer should consist of sipping sweet tea on the porch, napping in a swaying hammock and watching the kids run through the sprinkler. What they shouldn’t require is hours of yard work to repair a stressed-out lawn. August’s hot, steamy weather reminds homeowners it will be several weeks until your grass gets a break from the sun’s unforgiving rays. Staying one step ahead of scorching temps can mean the difference between enjoying your lawn for the rest of the year and replanting it come spring. Follow our tips to keep your lawn looking great throughout the last stretch of summer.
Water in the Morning
Try to water your lawn between 6 and 10 a.m. when temperatures are lower. An early-morning watering also provides your lawn with necessary moisture to keep it hydrated throughout the day. Don’t water at night as it increases the chances of fungus forming on your grass.
Keep your Lawnmower Blades High
One of the best lawn care tips is to never remove more than 1/3 of your grass’ total leaf blade. The more surface area your grass has, the better they can hold onto moisture. Raise your mower deck another half-inch to give your grass more surface area to store moisture and nutrients for winter.
Sharpen Your Mower Blades
Dull mower blades can bend and tear grass blades instead of cleanly cutting them. This leaves the blades’ edges uneven and inviting to drought, pests and diseases. Aim to sharpen blades at least a few times during the mowing season.
Spot Treat Weeds
While your annuals, perennials and grass might need a constant drink of water to thrive, weeds seem able to rapidly grow under any condition. Driveways, sidewalks and fencerows all easily get invaded by weeds long after everything else refuses to grow. Zap with a total weed control solution like RM18. It kills weeds and grasses quickly, without damaging the existing soil. RM18 works by entering the weed through the foliage and then travels down to the root, becoming inactive once it touches the bare soil. And if you do choose to replant in the spring, RM18 is the perfect product to clear the area and have it ready to reseed in about three days.
Apply Fertilizer
Depending on the type of grass you have, your lawn will need a fertilizer application either in late-summer or the fall. Warm season grasses, like Bermudagrass, St. Augustine grass, Centipede grass, Zoysia grass, Bahia grass and Carpet grass, should be fertilized in the late summer. Cool season grasses, like bent grass, Kentucky bluegrass, fescue and ryegrass should be fertilized in the fall.
Apply a Weed Killer for Lawns
Even the best lawn care regimens can miss late-summer weeds. Snuff out stubborn dandelions and other broadleaf weeds to ensure they don’t return in the spring. Apply a weed killer like Compare-N-Save Weed Killer for Lawns in late-summer. Compare-N-Save Weed Killer for Lawns works on both cool and warm-season grasses like Bahia, Common Bermuda, Bluegrass, Centipede, Fescue, Ryegrass, St. Augustine and Zoysia Grass. It only targets the weeds and won’t harm your lawn. Plus, it can be used as both a spot treatment and to treat an entire lawn.
Staying on top of late-summer lawn care will leave you more time to enjoy your outdoor space, rather than work on it. Go to our Where To Buy page to find RM18 and Compare-N-Save Weed Killer for Lawns.