5 Essential Tips For Maintaining Your Landscape This Summer

If you want your landscape to be picture-perfect all summer long, it’s crucial to maintain it.

In the summer, plants and lawns can suffer from extreme heat stress. To avoid this from happening, water your plants and lawn deeply. This will encourage your plants to grow stronger roots which will help them withstand the summer heat.

Mow Your Lawn Regularly

Whether you have just purchased your first home or have lived in the same one for years, taking care of your landscape to look its best is essential. This can be done by regularly mowing your lawn and keeping it in good condition.

Ideally, you should mow your lawn every two weeks during the main growing seasons, April to June and September to October. This ensures that your grass gets the nutrients it needs each week and looks neater.

Skilled landscapers from Los Altos landscape design claim that regularly maintained lawns recover from damage, pests, and bad weather far more rapidly than those that aren’t.This also helps keep your home’s curb appeal looking great.

In addition, mowing your lawn regularly keeps it at the ideal height for photosynthesis and nutrient absorption, resulting in a property that grows evenly throughout your yard. It also prevents weed growth, discourages insect pests, and provides a healthy base for your yard’s vegetation to thrive on.

Water Your Lawn Often

Watering is one of the most important aspects of keeping your lawn in good condition. Too little or too much water can cause your grass to look unhealthy and wilt quickly, or it can wither and die altogether.

How often you water your lawn is based on several factors, including soil type, sun exposure, weather conditions and personal goals for appearance. However, a basic rule of thumb is to water your lawn twice a week for about 20 minutes.

The best time to water is early morning – preferably between 4 and 7 AM. This is when the sun is less intense, and winds are calmer, allowing water to soak in deeply and be absorbed by your grass roots before it can evaporate.

Avoid midday watering as it causes wasteful evaporation and nighttime watering as it can cause droplets to cling to your grass overnight, increasing the risk of diseases. In addition, watering at the wrong times can encourage fungal infections in your lawn, such as mushrooms and blights.

Fertilize Your Lawn

The most effective way to fertilize your lawn is to use slow-acting granular fertilizer. This will gradually add nutrients to your soil, helping the grass become more resilient to heat and drought.

Choose a fertilizer containing your lawn’s nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Nitrogen helps promote new green growth, phosphorus encourages healthy root development, and potassium supports the strong roots of your grass.

A number on a fertilizer bag indicates how much of each nutrient is present. The higher the number, the more nutrients are available to your grass.

If you live in an area with hot temperatures and drought, your lawn may need a summer fertilizer. However, it’s essential to be cautious when applying a summer fertilizer because it can burn the grass.

The best time to apply your summer fertilizer is early to mid-June, after the hottest part of the day. This will help your lawn remain healthy and strong throughout the summer.

Remove Weeds Regularly

To keep your lawn looking its best, you must regularly remove weeds. They are an eyesore and can rob your grass and plants of water and nutrients.

You can use many methods to eliminate weeds, including chemical-based solutions. The key is to know your weeds and choose the right product to help you remove them.

Weeding can be tedious, especially with a large garden or yard. But with a few simple strategies, you can make controlling the growing weeds in your landscape easier.

A garden hoe is one of the easiest ways to remove weeds from your lawn. This tool will help you simultaneously dig up and remove weeds from large areas.

Inspect Your Irrigation System

Your home’s sprinkler system is an essential part of a healthy landscape. It keeps your grass and other plants green and prevents water waste.

Your system needs to be inspected regularly. This can help you catch minor problems before they become bigger ones.

Checking your lawn irrigation system can save time and money by avoiding expensive repairs or water waste. It also helps you understand how your system works and how it can affect your yard.

It’s important to know that there are several types of irrigation systems, and each type works differently. Understanding your system’s operation can help you find the right one for your yard.

You can also hire a licensed plumber to inspect your sprinkler system regularly to keep it in good condition. They’ll test the components and uncover any repairs, clean the spray heads, and adjust them for optimal performance that reduces waste.

It’s a good idea to have your irrigation system inspected once or twice a year, and you can find professionals in your area by searching online. You can even ask your local home inspector to add this service to a standard inspection for an extra fee or within a more significant repair contract.