5 Tips for Maintaining Your Lawn During the Summer

Summer lawn maintenance is part and parcel of owning a home. In addition to routine mowing, homeowners need to be mindful of the summer heat, unpredictable precipitation, weeds, and pests to keep their lawn in good condition.

Maintaining a healthy lawn takes some time and attention, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. Adding a few basic tasks to your summer home maintenance checklist can make it easy to keep your lawn in great shape.

Let’s look at five of the most important lawn maintenance tips so you’ll know how to keep your lawn green and healthy all summer long.

Top 5 Tips for Taking Care of Lawn in Summer

•          Apply fertilizer. Many people know to fertilize their lawn at the beginning of the season, but applying fertilizer is also one of the most important lawn care tips for late summer. Feeding your lawn in May helps your grass develop stronger roots so it can withstand longer periods without rain. Feeding it again around Labor Day can keep your lawn healthy through the autumn and ensure stronger growth the following year. The best fertilizer to use depends on your lawn and location. Remember to avoid fertilizing your lawn before a storm. Heavy rain can wash the fertilizer away, removing any benefit to your lawn and potentially feeding harmful algal blooms in nearby water sources instead.
•          Water regularly—but watch for drainage. Always ensure your lawn is getting the water it needs. You want to water deeply, which means checking that water has penetrated the soil by four to six inches. You also want to water in the morning to minimize water loss from evaporation. But be careful not to overwater. Be mindful of the rain your lawn receives from storms, and look for areas where water may collect or drain more slowly. Too little water and your grass will turn brown and dry up; too much and your lawn will be a soggy mess.
•          Keep your grass taller. This is one of the summer lawn tips that may surprise people. Mow high to keep your lawn from being too short. Taller grass has stronger roots and can better protect the soil from the sun. And don’t rake up those grass clippings—they will feed your lawn as they decompose.
•          Check for weeds. Stay on top of unwanted plant growth throughout the summer. Frequent short periods of weeding can save you a major undertaking later in the season. Always try to pull a weed from its root, or it will return before you know it. There are also many commercial weed killers that won’t damage grass.
•          Look out for pests. Insects and other creatures do a number on your lawn. Consider lawn feed that has insect control to help eliminate grubs, ants, ticks and more. Also look for burrowing animals, such as moles and gophers. It’s easier to deal with these creatures the earlier you catch them, so vigilance is key.

Extended Home and Lawn Care

The tips described above will go a long way in helping you maintain a beautiful lawn, but remember that your lawn can also be affected by other systems in and around your home. Is your sprinkler system functioning correctly? Is your septic tank or well pump damaged? Are your gutters working as they should? These are just a few issues that can lead to lawn damage.

Liberty Home Guard provides home warranty plans to ensure that these systems continue to function properly at minimal cost to you. Call us at (833)-544-8273 to learn more.