As the months pass by, many of us find ourselves longing for the days we can bask in the sun: we keep telling Old Man Winter to “shoo.” Simply put, many of us prefer summer to winter. Warm, sunny, and void of early morning windshield scraping, summer offers a certain enjoyment that winter cannot. Even so, summer isn’t without any work. There are several things that – when it comes to June, July, and August – can be considered “high maintenance.” The biggest one? Your lawn.
We all want to take care of our lawn: keep it green, keep it growing, keep it from being something the neighbors are embarrassed by. So, how do we do it? Hire a gardener? Take a lawn care class? Whisper sweet nothings to struggling blades of grass? How about starting out with the following:
Control Your Weeds: No matter how often we pull them out of our yard, they always seem to grow back: then again, plants will do that. Mowing can cut some weeds down to size, and keeping a regularly mowed and rigorously care for lawn is often the most effective way to weed weeds out. It’s important, however, to remember that mowing a lawn too frequently – and cutting the grass too low – can leave blades broken and brittle. And, even with proper mowing, weeds aren’t guaranteed to go away: some weeds need more aggressive measures such as chemical weed killers. Yes, it’s mean to the weeds but hey, they’re ugly.
Fertilize Appropriately: Fertilizer is like a magic potion for your lawn: it makes it grow, it keeps it green, it makes it healthy, and it gives it a thicker head of hair, so to speak. Still, you don’t want to over-fertilize, leaving your grass with some abnormal – and hurtful – growth spurt. So, how much is too much? Most lawn experts suggest that you fertilize your lawn four times a year. Starting around March and ending around October, lawns can be fertilized every two months or so.
Water Correctly: The most common summer sound – aside from crickets chirping outside your bedroom window – is probably the sound of an old sprinkler, spraying water across a thirsty lawn. Water and grass, especially during the summer, must go hand in hand. The most convenient sprinkler systems are those underground, sprinklers that can be programmed to turn on automatically thus saving you time, hassle, and a stern lecture from your grass in the event you forget to water it. Whether hand watering or using an automatic system, it’s important not to overwater your lawn. With many cities having water days regulating when certain addresses can use their sprinklers, overwatering can leave you with a hefty fine. It can also leave your lawn flooded, weeds big, and plants stressed. Perhaps most pointedly, giving your lawn too much water can leave the grass with an unbearable urge to pee.
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