Lawn Care Cedar Hills Estates Jacksonville Fl
How to Keep Your Lawn Green in Hot Weather
The dog days of summer, and many people’s lawns are showing signs of stress. Follow our tips to keep your lawn healthy.
Water
The best way to beat the heat is by watering. One inch of water per week keeps turf grass healthy. Once you start to water don't stop. Less frequent, deeper waterings are better than frequent shallow ones. Watering for longer periods of time less often will promote deeper roots, greater drought tolerance and less maintenance. Water your lawn in the morning when it is cool to allow more water to soak into the ground rather than evaporate. Avoid watering in the evening to prevent fungus and disease. Make sure you have functional and easy to use watering equipment to make the process fool-proof.
Fertilization
It's best to appy Gerten's Turf Special on a cool morning in the summer. Our Turf Special is a slow-release fertilizer that provides a prolonged feeding with a minimal danger of burning heat-stressed turf. It contains 26% Nitrogen to increase vigor and promote a lush lawn and 10% Potassium to strengthen roots. Sustane is an excellent alternative for those preferring an organic turf fertilizer. Locally produced, Sustane's All Natural Lawn Food provides 8% slow-release Nitrogen, 2% Phosphates and 4% Potassium from biologically stable compost, natural potash and feather meal.
Keep the Grass Longer in Summer
Grass has a crown from which new growth emerges. If you keep the lawn longer in the summer, the blades shade the crown and protect it from burning.
When applying liquid solutions to plants like turf grass, remember to avoid application when the air temperature is at or above 85 degrees. At this temperature, most plants are stressed and adding a chemical solution can worsen the condition. During hot spells it's best to apply in the evening when temperatures drop and the sun is low in the sky or wait until the heat breaks and cooler days arrive.
Japanese Beetles are a year round problem. It's not just the adult beetles that currently ravage Minnesota yards. Young grubs feed on the roots of grass, while the adults feed on the foliage of over 300 plant species. In order to get rid of this pest, one of the worst in Minnesota, you need to guard your yard against the grubs and adults.
Grub damage is easily identified in the yard by two characteristics. The first is a large, irregular brown patch. Secondly, the brown grass pulls away from the soil with little to no resistance. Application of a grub killer this fall and again in the spring is critical to guard your yard. Green Thumb Season-Long Grub Killer can be applied anytime during the spring, summer and fall and needs to be applied only once. Bayer's Grub Killer Plus is also an excellent product. Grub Killer Plus works intensely for about a week and then leaves the environment. For people who prefer not to have a season-long grub killer present, Grub Killer Plus is a fantastic alternative.
Lawn Disease
Brown spots often appear at this point in the summer. Once the possibilities of heat stress and grub damage have been dismissed, fungal diseases are the logical culprit. Upon close examination of a grass blade, black or dusty gray banding will appear laterally across the blade. Bring a sample to the Gerten's Turf Experts and we can diagnose it for you. Based on what we find your prescription will likely be either Infuse or Fung-o-nil. Infuse is a systemic fungicide that comes in either a granular or liquid for quick and easy application. Fung-o-nil is a topical fungicide in a liquid form. It's widely used in the lawn and garden and is safe for edibles and well as ornamentals.
