Summer temperatures in the Pacific Northwest can devastate even the most manicured outdoor carpet of green. Thankfully, with a few simple lawn-care steps from the Coastal crew, you can keep your lawn looking green and healthy all summer long.
Love Your Lawn
Get some tips on how to get the most from your lawn, proper mowing techniques from a pro, and how to fix pet spots on your lawn with some of our past posts.
Water Less Often
You read that correctly. Instead of watering every day, water for a longer period of time less often. Doing so encourages deeper roots and a more lush, green lawn. Try to water for 15 minutes twice or three times a week during the summer months or more as needed. Be sure to water early in the morning, between 4am and 10am.
How do you know if you need more or less water? Test your lawn with a 6-inch screwdriver. Simply push the screwdriver into the lawn. If it goes in easy, you don’t need to water right away. If you have to push hard, add more minutes or days to your watering schedule.
Mow with Care
First, set your mower so that the cut grass is no shorter than 3.5 inches long. Anything shorter than that, and you risk damaging your lawn and causing brown spots. However, don’t let the lawn get too long or grubs and other insects will move in and cause issues. Additionally, only mow in the morning when it’s cool. If you cannot do that, wait until near sunset to mow. The goal is to mow your lawn outside the hottest part of the day.
Mow More Frequently
To maintain a healthy lawn, only cut 1/3 of the height of the grass. With your mower set at 3.5 inches, you may need to mow twice or even three times per week during peak growing times.
Fertilize for Growth, Weeds, and Insects
It’s important to keep feeding your lawn, even in the summer. A slow-release fertilizer that’s formulated to keep your lawn green, free from dandelions, and unhabitable to grubs and crane flies is your best bet. Apply your summer fertilizer anytime in June, July or August.
Be sure the fertilizer you pick is not heavy with nitrogen. You do want to feed your lawn in the summer, but not too much. Going overboard can encourage too much growth, which can cause dead spots.
Coastal Loves Lawns
You’ll find everything you need to keep your lawn lush, green, and healthy at Coastal. That includes mowers and fertilizer spreaders, bags of slow-release nitrogen fertilizers, as well as lawn tools, gardening equipment and more.