Help Your Lawn Survive The Summer Heat!
IN TRUE AUSSIE FORM, WE ARE IN THE THICK OF ANOTHER HOT SUMMER. LUCKY FOR US, WE CAN ESCAPE THE HARSH SUN RAYS, BUT OUR BELOVED LAWNS CANNOT!
If you’re a true lawn fanatic, chances are the heat strain on your lawn may be threatening your hard earned title.. you know the one.. the ‘best lawn in the street!‘
Here are our top tips for keeping your lawn in top condition during our extended dry periods:
–
WHAT TIME OF DAY TO WATER
You may have heard that watering in the evening after the sun has gone down is that best time to water your lawn. However, this is a lawn MYTH!
Watering in the morning is actually better! If you water in the evening, water can stick to the blades and form fungus.
Water between 4am and 10am so the water has time to penetrate before the heat of the sun simply evaporates it.
–
HOW OFTEN TO WATER
Psst! Let us let you in on another lawn myth.. you need to water your lawn every day in Summer!
This certainly isn’t the case..
Your lawn can actually become a bit dependent and needy if you water it for short periods every day!
Instead of watering every day for 10 minutes, water once a week for an hour instead. This will water it deeply, encouraging deeper root growth which helps to make it more drought tolerant.
TIP: It is also important to make sure you follow local water restrictions if there are any in place.
WHAT TIME OF DAY TO MOW
In Summer, it is best to mow earlier in the day, or as the sun has started to go down again.
The hot sun in the middle of the day is more likely to do damage to freshly cut lawn, so doing so when it is cooler will cause less stress to the leaf.
–
HOW TO MOW
You will need to treat your lawn to regular mowing during extended dry periods!
In Summer you need to keep on top of the leaf growth, so you don’t remove too much at a time.
Removing more than a third of the leaf at any one time, will cause stress to the grass roots.
Minimising the amount of stress that is caused to the turf is especially important at this time of year.
There is some evidence that states leaving a longer leaf on your lawn is better in Summer for your lawn to manage the heat, but there is also evidence to the contrary stating that a short leaf will result in less moisture loss.
We recommend sticking to the length your lawn is accustomed to, and the length that you prefer. But don’t cut it so short as to scalp it or cut off excessive amounts of the leaf at any one time.
TIP: Also, a sharp set of mower blades will cut much cleaner and also reduce harm and stress to the grass, so make sure you have checked the blades and have replaced or sharpened them if necessary.
THE MOST HEAT TOLERANT GRASS VARIETIES
Here in Australia, our most drought-tolerant, warm-season grass varieties are TifTuf or Sir Walter DNA Certified Buffalo. Both are hardy varieties that will best survive our harsh Aussie Summer.
TIP: In conjunction with the above mentioned, an occasional nutrient-boost with a high-quality, lawn-fertiliser such as Sir Walter Premium Lawn Fertiliser will also help to keep your lawn in top-shape for Summer!
Also, healthier the lawn, the less susceptible is will be to weeds or disease, and the more equipped it will be to withstand any long hot-and-dry-spells.
