Whether you’re planning on hosting parties or prefer to keep things quiet during summer, having a lush and verdant lawn is always a pleasant sight. Unfortunately, due to busy schedules and rising temperatures, it’s not uncommon for lawn care and maintenance to fall by the wayside and open the door to brown and dried-out grass. Depending on the type of grass you have, though, there are ways to prevent long-term damage.  Here’s a closer look.

Summer Lawn Care Tips to Prevent Dead Grass

Cool-Season Grasses

If you have tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, or Kentucky bluegrass, you’ll need to be gentle throughout the warm season. Early summer lawn care includes reducing your mowing schedule—longer grass blades provide additional shade for the roots and help retain moisture. As for water, it should get about an inch every week.

After the height of summer, cool-season grasses will go dormant. So if it gets spotty, don’t panic—it’ll return to green once the temperatures drop to about 75º F. During this time, don’t mow it at all and reduce the watering to about half an inch every two weeks or so. Make sure to remove any weeds that pop up; if they grow, they’ll drain the moisture from the roots and leave you with a dead lawn come fall.

Warm-Season Grasses

On the other hand, types like Bermuda grass, centipedegrass, and zoysiagrass thrive during summer. While it depends on the exact species, fertilizing them throughout the season will help keep them green. However, excessive nitrogen could burn the grass, so try not to overfertilize.

Aside from that, other sources of brown spots are drought, compacted soil, and pests. Like cool-season grasses, lawn care involves keeping the grass blades taller for shade and moisture retention and maintaining a consistent watering schedule. An inch to an inch and a half per week—including rainfall—is recommended.

 

If you want to avoid the prospect of a dried-out lawn, contact Landscape Carolina. For three decades, this locally owned and operated landscaping company has served the Lancaster, SC, region. Whether it’s mowing, irrigation, or pest control you need, their experienced team can handle the job. To learn more about their lawn care services, visit the website or call (803)-289-7888 for a free estimate.