Summer Lawn Care

Just in case you might have been vacationing in the islands all summer (lucky you) and haven't heard, we're smack dab in the middle of a pretty severe drought. Here in the Midwest things have been particularly dry, about ten inches short on the old measuring stick. All this lack of moisture just might have your lawn looking like Aunt Myrtle's hair after one to many run-ins with the hydrogen peroxide. Sort of well, bleached out. There are some things you can do however to bring back the green besides getting out the rattles and drum and starting to dance. Here are a few tips:

First you need to see if the poor little green guys have actually kicked the bucket or just asleep. When grasses turn brown from heat and lack of water they become dormant, slowing their growth and sometimes even stopping altogether. The best way to do this is to dig down a little and see if there is any green left down by the roots. This is called the crown. If there is green left then there is a good chance that you can bring it back to life. If it's brown all the way down, plan on buying some grass seed. Next, don't be stingy with the hose. Unless there is water rationing going on in your neck of the woods, try to water your lawn once a day in the summer. The best time for a good soaking is early in the morning. Watering in the middle of the day can scorch the grass even worse, all those little droplets of water acting like thousands of little magnifying glasses. Watering at night can leave your grass susceptible to mold and fungus. A word about mowing your lawn: longer is better. Try not to mow the grass more than one third of its original length. And if you really want to do your lawn a favor, get one of those manual scissors-type mowers. The one that you push, just like your grandfather had. These type of mowers gently clip the grass instead of ripping its head off with all of that power. So if your lawn is smaller, you can save gasoline, not disturb your neighbors and get some much needed exercise by using a manual mower. So, you've done all of the above and things are getting a little greener, but parts of your yard still look like a mangy dog? Two things left to do: fill in those bald spots with some good quality seed. (Be sure to take a sample of the grass down to the nursery if you don't know what kind you have.) While you're there, pick of a bag of fertilizer if you haven't applied any of that for awhile. Both seeding and fertilizing are best done in the fall. The seeds sprout faster while there is still a little heat left in the ground and the fertilizer is best applied when the grass is not stressed from the heat and has plenty of water.

Ahh, now next summer you can run your toes through all of that luxuriant green. Now if you can just get that kid to mow it once in awhile……