1. What is the best way to keep a lawn green during the hot summer months without breaking the budget?
Applying the right treatment to your lawn will make sure you spend your lawn care dollars wisely. If you have a warm season turf, such as Bermuda or Zoysia, you should apply a 35% slow release high nitrogen fertilizer starting at the beginning of June. This should be repeated again six weeks later in the middle of July, and then one more time at the beginning of September.
If you have a fescue lawn (a coarse-textured grass with good weed resistance) save your money! You should not apply fertilizer during the summer months because fescue is a cool season turf and is under stress in the summer.
2. What is the ideal length to cut/trim grass? And is there truth to the myth about switching up which direction you cut your ghrass
Proper mowing heights for the warm season turf grasses is between 1.5″ to 3″. For fescue turf, you do not want to cut lower than 4″, as the longer leaf blade will help the fescue withstand the summer heat.
Should you switch up which direction you cut your grass? The short answer is yes, you should change the direction you mow, but it does not necessarily have to be every time. Changing the direction every two to three cuts is plenty. The primary benefit to this is that it changes the pattern and the grass will not develop ruts from being cut the same exact direction each time.
3. How much should you water grass during the summer?
All turf grasses require 1″ of water per week. A simple way to measure this is by putting a tuna can out in the yard and when that is filled, you have an inch of water.
While it isn’t a must to have a perfectly manicured lawn, any reputable real estate agent will tell you that curb appeal is an extremely important factor and can be the difference between someone purchasing your home or the one down the street with better landscaping and curb appeal. If you home is nearby other homes for sale, it could definitely make the difference.
– Ricky O’Connell, Owner & Founder, Personal Touch Lawn Care
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