A healthy and thriving summertime lawn can feel like a challenge here in the Midsouth due to the heat. Summers can get pretty hot and while we might be able to take a break inside, your lawn has no escape!
That’s why it’s really important to follow through on certain tasks. Providing your lawn with the proper care can help set it up for success, even during the hotter days.
We’ve put together a summer lawn care checklist for Memphis homeowners that will help you to know how to take care of a lawn in the summer. While there might be periods of stress that can be hard to avoid, the better health that your lawn is in, the better it will fare (even during extreme conditions, like drought).
Here are some key items to add to your summer lawn care checklist.
Here is your summer lawn care checklist for your Memphis home.
Proper watering is always important for your lawn. But even greater attention needs to be given to this vital practice in the summer when temperatures are at their hottest and rainfall might be limited.
Most lawns generally need around 1 to 2 inches of water per week for the common grass species here in Tennessee.
The best way to give your lawn proper water is with a good “soaking.” In other words, don’t just water “here or there.” Plan to deeply soak your lawn so that you can feel confident the water is reaching the root zone where they’re needed. If you don’t do this, you risk the roots growing shallow and your grass weakening.
We often find that many homeowners also overestimate how much water they believe Mother Nature put down during a rainfall. A heavy downpour does not automatically mean you can skip watering that week.
Using a rain gauge is a good way to take the guesswork out of watering and know exactly how much your lawn is receiving.
Lawn mowing is an important summertime task but it happens to be one that is frequently performed improperly. We know that mowing seems like a simple task (and we’re not saying it’s difficult) but there are ways to mow wrong.
For instance, one of the biggest mistakes that homeowners make is mowing the grass too short. This puts a lot of stress on it which is particularly concerning during the summer months when the lawn is already stressed by the conditions.
Mowing too short could be a reason why you may see a dull, green, or yellow color or an overall loss of vigor in your lawn.
Another important consideration is how often you mow. As we mention in the headline, it should be on your lawn maintenance checklist to mow weekly.
We know that life gets busy and mowing every other week is easier, but this is another habit that puts a lot of stress on the lawn. When the grass is on the higher side during a mowing session, you have to make a larger cut—and that’s tough on the lawn.
If you were to mow more often, you’d be able to cut less of your grass. We recommend cutting no more than one-third of grass blades at a time to minimize stress and achieve optimal color and performance.
Lawn fertilization is also an important addition to your lawn maintenance checklist.
Fertilizer adds nutrients to the soil to help plant growth. The key nutrients that lawns need are Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K). Each of these nutrients serves different functions for your grass.
These three nutrients are very important for plant function and are also the elements most deficient in soils. That means without lawn fertilization, your grass isn’t going to thrive.
Fertilization is a key differentiator between a so-so lawn and one that is looking and performing its best.
However, timing is everything with this service, particularly during the summer season. At the hottest point of summer, fertilization needs to be backed off as it will aggravate most turf diseases and could cause more harm than good.
This is where a lot of homeowners make mistakes if they are performing DIY fertilization and is a good reason why it makes sense to invest in professional lawn care. A pro will know exactly how much fertilizer your lawn needs and apply it at the proper rates.
While the heat can make it difficult for grass to thrive, guess what tends to fare well in the heat? Unwanted weeds! That’s why it’s important that your lawn maintenance checklist includes a plan for weed control.
Weeds are a major problem here in Memphis as we have many aggressive and hard-to-control varieties. That’s why it’s really important that you’re working with a lawn weed service that is going to address the specific problems on your lawn with an array of weed control solutions.
On top of weed control products, utilizing a full program that is going to promote a thick, healthy lawn will also make a big difference in choking out weeds in a natural way. Since many of these weeds thrive in conditions in which healthy turf does not (such as compacted soil or soggy areas), getting your lawn in good shape will make a world of difference in naturally keeping weeds away.
Hopefully this article has helped you to know how to take care of a lawn in summer.
Summer lawn care is important, particularly since the conditions can be difficult and grass can go through periods of struggle as a result.
But you can’t neglect your lawn during other seasons and then expect it to perform well in the summer. Lawn care needs to be an ongoing, year-round effort in order to see the best results and develop a lawn that can stand up to tough conditions.
The truth is, that each season comes with its own set of challenges and recommendations. You want to ensure your lawn is getting everything that it needs no matter what the season.
That’s why you need a lawn care program that goes beyond just summer lawn care.
We know that you can’t be expected to know everything there is to know about your lawn, even for the services you’re handling yourself. That’s why we’re here for you. When you partner with Master Lawn, you never have to feel as though you’re on your own.
We’re always here to answer questions, provide recommendations, and help set you up for success.
Ready to hand over your lawn care worries for your Memphis, TN, or Northern Mississippi home? Talk to a lawn care expert, choose from 3 program options, and become the master of your lawn.
