How to Green Up Your Lawn in a Hot Summer

:awns require frequent maintenance to stay green during a hot summer.

The hot, scorching rays of the summer can kill green lawns. Supplying the grass with proper amounts of water and fertilizer in the summer is like handing a man stuck in the desert a canteen and a five-course meal -- both leap back to life with color and enthusiasm. Keep an eye on your grass and lend it a helping hand occasionally to keep your lawn green all summer long.

Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver
• Lawn mower
• Fertilizer

Instructions

1. Add about 2.5 inches of water to the lawn each week during a hot, dry midsummer. Drive a long screwdriver or similarly straight item into the ground to make sure the soil is moist 8 to 10 inches down after watering. The screwdriver sinks easily into moist soil, but dry soil resists the push.

2. Adjust the watering schedule based on the soil texture under the lawn. Water sandy soils, which drain rapidly, every other day. Water balanced loam soils every three or four days, while slow-draining clay soils need watering every four to six days. Make sure the top 8 to 10 inches of soil is moist after each application.

3. Mow the lawn to a height of 2.5 to 3 inches. Keep the grass high to encourage deeper rooting and drought resistance and to shade the soil from the glaring sun. Cut the grass with sharp blades to make clean cuts, which helps the lawn to conserve water. Avoid removing more than one-third of the height of the grass in a single mowing session.

4. Maintain a regular fertilization schedule for your grass type and region. Check with the local university cooperative extension for a fertilization schedule appropriate for your lawn. Many lawns require fertilization once a month, but pause the applications from July until mid-August to avoid over-stressing the lawns during prime growing times.

5. Maintain the watering schedule to prevent cool-season grasses, such as fescue and Kentucky bluegrasses, from going dormant and browning. Halt the frequent watering if cool-season grasses do go dormant, and begin applying 1/2 inch of water every 2 to 3 weeks. Reviving dormant grass after it browns stresses the lawn.

References

• University of Illinois Extension: Home Hort Hints: Summer Lawn Care Tips
• Utah State University Extension: How Do I Keep My Lawn Green During the Hot Summer Months?
• University of Minnesota Extension: Fertlizing Lawns