Summer Lawn Care
Control weeds with spot treatments or by hand-pulling larger weeds. Weed before mowing to avoid spreading seeds for new weeds to grow. Mow regularly and often enough that you never cut more than ⅓ of the grass's height. Mow higher in the summer to help prevent weeds from moving in.
The rule that helps us figure that out is called the one-third rule, which means never remove more than one-third of the leaf tissue at any one time that you're mowing. So, if you're mowing Kentucky bluegrass at two inches high, for example, you don't want to let it grow any higher than three inches before you mow it.
Start lawn care in early spring when the weather warms up, and grass emerges from dormancy.
Most lawns need to be watered no more than three days a week in the spring as well as in the summer and two days a week in the fall.
The 5 Low Maintenance Grass Types
Fine fescues, including Slender Creeping Red Fescue, Strong Creeping Red Fescue, Chewings Fescue, Hard Fescue, and Sheep Fescue, are the key to achieving a low-maintenance lawn. These five fescue varieties are highly suitable for low-maintenance lawns due to their various advantages.
Whether that be the end of March or in late May, your first round of lawn treatment should begin as soon as spring shows its face. This care treatment should include fertilizer that contains crabgrass pre-emergent and broadleaf weed control that will work to stop weed growth before it happens.
The mowing 1/3 rule, also referred to as the golden rule of mowing, instructs you to never cut more than 1/3 of the grass blade at a time. This rule is necessary because if you remove more than 1/3 of your grass blades while mowing, it could potentially kill your grass and allow weeds to grow too easily.
1-2-3-2-1 watering technique:
In April water 1 day/week. In May ramp up to 2 times/week. In the heat of the summer water 3 times/week. In September drop back to 2 times/week. In the fall drop back down to 1/week.
You want to fertilize new lawns six to eight weeks before laying seed. The type of grass will determine when you want to lay fertilizer and seed. For example, cool-season grasses are sown during the fall, so you should put down fertilizer in late summer or early fall.
Summer: Prioritize proper watering, pest control, and maintaining a proper mowing height to protect against heat stress. Fall: Emphasize overseeding, core aeration, and applying winterizer fertilizer to prepare for the cold months. Winter: Minimize foot traffic on dormant lawns and plan for the upcoming growing season.
The key to a healthy lawn is growing it in soil with plenty of organic matter and alive with microorganisms. Apply a thin layer of weed-free compost over the lawn in the spring and in the fall. Water gently to help the nutrients and microbes migrate into the soil.
While feeding your lawn once a year will improve its condition, feeding it four times a year will make it even healthier and more beautiful. Turn your lawn into the best on the block by following this fertilization schedule.
Improper mowing or watering habits, too much or too little fertilizer, thatch and compacted soil all increase the chances of disease. To understand lawn disease, you need to understand lawn fungus.
The 1/3 rule makes the most sense for relatively high cut turf found in golf course roughs, sports fields and home lawns. Applying the rule, you should never let a rough maintained at 2 inches grow higher than 3 inches before mowing.
Generally speaking, most homeowners should give their lawn a treatment at least once a year. For cool-season grasses like bluegrass and fescue that are common in northern climates, two treatments per year is recommended – one in early spring and another in late fall.
Apply grass fertilizer around the perimeter.
Feeding around the perimeter first will allow you to fertilize the rest of the lawn without worrying about missing any of the edges. Using the EdgeGuard® feature on a Scotts® broadcast spreader helps you avoid getting grass food in garden beds, on sidewalks, or on driveways.