Many homeowners take pride in having a beautiful lawn. However, it is often difficult to grow and maintain a healthy lawn all summer. Dry weather, bad soil and even foot traffic can all harm your lawn as the summer months wear on. Learning how to plant grass is pretty easy, but getting it to stay green and healthy often requires a little more effort. Here are some tips to guide you towards having a great lawn this summer.
First off, if you are planting from seed you want to make sure you have good quality grass seed that is suited to your environment. Check out the different kinds of seeds available and read the instructions carefully before deciding which one to buy. Not only that, you want to make sure you plant the seeds in good soil. You should first test your soil’s PH level to determine whether it is alkaline or acidic. PH test kits are available at most hardware stores. Some garden stores will even test your soil for you for a small fee. The soil should be in the average range of 6 or 7. Depending on the results you may need to increase or decrease the acidity of your soil.
Also of considerable importance is making sure your grass has enough water. Of course, if the soil is too dry the seeds will not germinate and the same will happen if the soil it too wet. You will want your soil to be moist enough to retain water while the seeds are germinating. I personally find that planting grass right before a long steady rain is the best time to plant grass if you can trust your weather reports. Add enough water to soak into the soil but just enough so that it does not create too much flooding above the surface. That leads us to water.
One of the most obvious ways to keep your lawn in great condition is ensuring it receives the right amount of water. Letting it get too dry can cause dry patches and watering it too much will drown the seeds and the grass. A sprinkler is usually the easiest way to water your lawn as it provides a gentle source of water over larger areas.
Generally, a healthy lawn requires an average of 30-40 minutes of watering per area every other day. You may have to do trial-and-error to find out what is ideal depending on how much sun and shade you receive. It is also important to adjust your watering based on the amount of rainfall you get. If you have had several consecutive days of rainfall then you should be able to go without watering for 3-4 days. The time of day you water also makes a difference. Of course, you should not set your sprinklers on during the hottest part of the day because most of the water will evaporate before being absorbed into the soil. However, you do not want to water at a time when the water will be stagnant too long because this can promote fungus growth. Experts suggest the best time to water is in the early morning. Of course, be sure you do not water your lawn on days you are going to mow.
Last but not least, you’ll want to keep your lawn in great shape by properly mowing your grass. It is important to consider how often and how short you cut the grass. Cutting your lawn too short will not allow it to grow and can cause it to burn. You should keep it at a decent height throughout the summer to avoid this. As well, you should not go too long without cutting it because the grass will not get proper nutrient absorption if it is too tall. Experts suggest you keep your lawn at about 2.5-3 inches in height. It is also best to change direction each time you mow. Furthermore, mowing during coolest part of the day will help avoid browning of the grass. If you’re just learning how to take care of grass, then you might want to check out this grass cutting guide.
Good luck growing your lawn this summer!
