Did you know that more than one million people around the United States work in the lawn care industry? In a typical year, the average American household spends about $500 on lawn care and gardening.
However, some people end up spending money on lawn care because they do not know how to protect their grass during a heatwave. The good news is that you can use an irrigation system, strategic mowing, and many other techniques to keep your grass in good shape no matter how hot it is outside.
With the tips we will discuss in this article, you’ll be able to achieve better results with your lawn while putting in less time and effort. Read on to learn all about the top things to keep in mind when you are trying to protect your grass from intense heat!
Avoiding Cutting Your Grass Too Short
We tend to mow our lawns without it ever occurring to us what it might do to our grass health. When you stop and think about it, it makes sense that mowing your lawn would put a fair amount of stress on it. If your grass is already under a lot of stress due to excess heat, mowing your grass too short might kill some of it.
Being careful with your mowing can also help your grass grow deeper roots. After all, the less energy and resources your grass needs to develop to regrow its top, the more it can invest in its underground structures. That can give your grass the robust root structure it needs to find water even during the hottest months of the year.
So how short should you cut your grass? As a general rule, you should avoid cutting more than about one-third of the height of your grass in a single mowing.
If you have let your grass grow tall, that might not seem like enough. However, if you follow this rule consistently for a few weeks, you will find that you can get your grass height down to an acceptable level without putting too much stress on it at any given time.
However, if it has been both hot and dry for a long time, you might want to avoid mowing at all. When your grass cannot find adequate water, the damage it takes from good mowing can be almost impossible to recover from. Try to avoid mowing until you know that your grass has access to adequate water.
Be Strategic with Water
During a heatwave, some people make a point of watering their grass as much as possible. Manually watering your grass can be helpful and even essential if you want to make sure it has enough water for you to mow it. However, it surprises many people to find out that you can give your grass too much water.
Although your grass needs water, too much water can interfere with the ability of your grass to develop strong roots. As a general rule, it is enough to water your lawn only a few times each week.
If you have been watering your grass more and more and failing to get the results you want, it might be better to try watering less and seeing if that helps.
Avoiding over-watering can also help prevent your grass from suffering from mold.
Keep Your Mower Blades in Good Shape
The sharper your lawn mower blades, the cleaner the cut they will make. Cleaner cuts are easier for your grass to recover from. Therefore, make a special point of keeping your lawn mower blades in excellent shape when you are dealing with a heatwave.
Avoid Collecting Your Grass Clippings
Some people prefer to collect grass clippings or have a mower that does it for them. However, when you are looking after the health of your grass, it can be better to leave your grass clippings where they are. As your grass clippings break down, it will provide your lawn with natural fertilizer that can help it maximize itself.
Avoid Fertilizer During the Hottest Months
Speaking of fertilizer, you might want to avoid using artificial fertilizers during the hottest months of the year. Fertilizer encourages your grass to devote extra energy to new growth. However, during a heatwave, you want your grass to focus more on maintaining its health than on trying to reach new heights.
Consider leaving your lawn with only the natural fertilizer that comes from grass clippings until it is cooler out.
Limit Foot Traffic on Your Lawn
During a heatwave, your grass will be extra sensitive to foot traffic. Although it can be inconvenient to take this principle to extremes, you might want to consider staying off your grass until it is healthier.
In most cases, this requires only a temporary adjustment to habits until the heat passes. However, you can also install stepping stones so that people can walk around your lawn without putting stress on your grass.
Invest in an Irrigation System
Irrigation systems can be the perfect way to make sure that your grass always has the perfect amount of water. You might consider working with a quality landscape design company in Tampa that can install an irrigation system for you.
You can also learn a lot by speaking with landscape design services. You can ask them any burning questions you have about protecting your grass from the heat and share with them what you have already been trying. However, with an irrigation system making sure that your lawn never has too much or too little water, you may find that maintaining your lawn health is easier than ever.
Protect Your Grass from the Harsh Summer Heat
It can be discouraging to see all the work you put into your lawn turn to nothing when a scorching heatwave burns it up. However, with the right tips in hand, you will be able to preserve your grass even during the hottest months. We hope learning more about how you can protect your grass from heat waves has been helpful to you.
Oasis provides landscape design and irrigation system installation services. Contact us to learn more about how you can keep your lawn in the best shape possible!
