Summer is upon us once again, meaning you are likely spending more time outside. With your lawn being a central place where much of that time is spent, it’s important to keep it healthy. Summer’s dry heat can present unique challenges to maintain a healthy summer lawn. Spartan Mowers has plenty of tips to help you keep up with your yard and overcome these challenges.
WATERING
No time is more important than summer when it comes to properly watering your lawn. Generally speaking, lawns should receive at least 1 inch of water per week to stay healthy. To ensure your lawn is receiving an inch of water per week, place an empty tuna can in each irrigation zone. Note how long it takes to fill the can. You now know how long each zone must run to provide 1 inch of water. Divide the time in half and run each zone twice per week for that amount of time, unless of course Mother Nature helps water your lawn. Watering your lawn early in the day will give the soil enough time to absorb the water before the sun is at its peak. This will prevent the water from evaporating and keep your summer lawn healthy.
Another thing you should consider when watering your lawn is the location. If your lawn is sloped, it will require more water. If it is shaded, it may require less water. One thing is for sure, deep waterings no more than twice a week are far superior to frequent, shallow watering.
DROUGHT DAMAGE
If your lawn doesn’t receive enough water, it can experience drought damage. Here are a few symptoms of drought damage:
Change in grass color or hue
Impressions left in the grass after you step on it, meaning your lawn isn’t springing back up after items (or feet) are placed on it
Crunching and crackling under the pressure of your steps
Grass blades wilting and folding over
If your turf has a warm-season grass such as bermuda or zoysia, you can heal drought damage with proper watering, fertilization, and aeration. For cool-season grasses like fescue, a core aeration and seeding treatment will be needed in the coming Fall to help with drought damage.
MOWING
Often, when the image of a perfectly mowed lawn comes to mind, we think of grass that is short. In the summer though, it’s necessary to let your grass grow a bit longer to provide shade for your lawn’s soil. This helps prevent the summer heat from evaporating your new watering methods that you’re implementing for this season. Keeping the grass longer will also allow roots to grow further into the soil, giving your lawn a fuller appearance. A length between 3 to 4 inches is ideal for warm-season grasses. Cool-season lawns will do great with just 2 to 2.5 inches and can even be maintained as low as 1.75 inches. Always mow your lawn in a different direction to avoid creating a pattern. Remember, keeping your mower blade sharp keeps your lawn looking better and helps prevent fungal disease when grass blades are torn and not cut.
RELAX AND ENJOY
Spartan Mowers can provide you with the perfect mower to match your lawn, and help you spend less time mowing and more time enjoying this time of year. Mowing with a machine that is adequate and dependable during the hot summer months is something we all desire. Should you have any questions, or if you have a need to update your lawnmower, Spartan Mowers guarantee we have the answers, AND the mower you need. With less maintenance requirements, an easier ride, cost-saving technology - all in a mower built by a company you can trust, your purchasing and mowing experience will be more enjoyable. Use our dealer locator to find a Spartan Mower Dealer near you, and see for yourself how easy it is to drive a Spartan!