It is not too early to prepare for intense summer heat and drought conditions. Take action now with these four pre-summer steps to protect your lawn, garden and water bill.
1 Mulch
Water evaporates quickly in summer heat, leaving roots and plants stressed. This is the time to protect all flowerbeds, shrubs and trees with fresh mulch. Mulch creates a barrier to provide shade, keep soil moist, stabilize temperatures and slowly add nutrients to the soil.
2 Check your irrigation
Summer watering demands can take a toll on irrigation systems. This is the time to get your system checked to ensure proper coverage, make necessary repairs, protect against expensive leaks, and adjust your time settings.
Remember, to water most efficiently, you need to water in the very early morning hours. And to avoid wasting water from runoff, you may want to schedule several short sessions instead of one long time, slowly soaking the soil.
3 Mow taller and more often
Keep mowing frequently to stimulate growth and prevent weeds, but steadily increase the height as the temperature increases to keep roots shaded.
4 TLC for lawns: Aeration and fertilization
Lawns become compacted over time preventing them from absorbing water and taking in nutrients. Aeration breaks up this barrier, allowing water and nutrients to reach the roots. Lawns should be aerated at least once every one to three years, with high traffic areas getting more frequent attention.
If your lawn is not compacted, but does have more than a half inch of decaying matter on the surface, a good dethatching will also facilitate the flow of nutrients to the root level.
Finish by feeding your lawn prior to summer’s heat. This strengthens it from stress. Top dressing is especially good before summer as it encourages the retention of moisture.
Contact us if you are unsure of which fertilizer is best for your type of lawn and make sure that you complete your fertilization at least thirty days before the most intense summer heat.
