Do you struggle each year trying to keep your lawn looking lush during the heat of the summer?  If so, follow these tips to help your grass look its best.

Mow it High:  By allowing your grass to grow longer by an inch or so more in the summer you cut down on water evaporation from the soil, grow deeper roots, and help shade the soil and cut down of water evaporation.  Only mow 1/3 of the length of your grass at each mowing.  Warm season grass should be mowed between 2” – 3” high.

Water Deeply but Infrequently: Lawns need at least 1 inch of water per week.  It is best to water early in the day to help reduce evaporation and fungal growth.  Frequent, shallow watering encourages grass to grow short roots, causing the grass to stress so be sure to water deeply but infrequently to encourage deep roots.   Tip:  place a small tuna can in your lawn to capture water while your sprinkler is on.  When it measures 1” of water then you have watered enough – watch the time and this is how long you need to water each time.

Feed Regularly:  There are conflicting points of view on whether to fertilize your lawn in hot weather.  Within 6-8 weeks of feeding, nutrients in the soil need to be replenished to maintain a thick lawn.  If you irrigate your grass then fertilization is most definitely helpful.  The opposing point of view is that the increased growth results in additional stress on the lawn.

Control Weeds:  Weeds compete with your grass for water – so start a weed management program to rid your yard of weeds.  Use a selective weed spray on actively growing weeds and apply pre-emergent granules twice a year (Spring & Fall) to prevent weed seeds from germinating.