If the lawn awakens from its winter sleep and you have the goal that it appears in its full glory in the summer, you should be prepared for the fact that it requires special care in the summer, so that it continues to appear beautiful green. The summer months are a particularly difficult time and put quite a bit of strain on the lawn. Here, it is necessary that you take specific care of the lawn during the summer. With the following tips, you should have no trouble keeping your lawn healthy.
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Fertilize
Ideally, you should have already helped the lawn out of hibernation in the spring. An initial dethatching and fertilizing should be done in the spring to help the lawn get back the nutrients it needs. By doing this, you will help provide a healthy platform for the lawn and it will be able to develop ideally for the summer.
However, if you find brown and unsightly patches already in the spring, immediate action should be taken to help the lawn regain its former strength. In the first place should be the choice of the right fertilizer.
With the right fertilizer, it should be no problem to help the lawn back to full strength. The perfect care for a summer lawn therefore begins in the spring.
A combination product of weed killer and fertilizer is suitable here. With it, you can provide the lawn with the necessary nutrients and at the same time protect it from unloved weeds.
Instead of using mineral fertilizers, it is recommended to use slow-release fertilizers. Applied with a spreader, slow-release fertilizers can ideally supply the lawn with nutrients for a period of more than six months.
In contrast, mineral fertilizers are good for helping the lawn to grow vigorously within a short period of time, but there is a great risk of overfertilization.
Tip: Fertilize the lawn with slow-release fertilizer on a cloudy day in the spring. It should be avoided to apply the fertilizer on a hot day, because there is a risk that the lawn will burn. Therefore, even in summer, fertilize very sparingly.
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Mowing
For a perfect summer lawn, of course, it must be properly mowed and trimmed. As already mentioned, in summer there is a risk that the lawn will burn. The hot summer temperatures affect the lawn and it quickly develops brown spots.
The lawn length should not be shorter than 4 cm. In summer it is better to mow the lawn to a length of about 5 cm. In the shade, a length of 6 cm may also be appropriate.
In general, the blades should not be shortened by more than 1/3 of their length. So if you want to trim the lawn to 5 cm, it should not have been longer than about 7 cm. Therefore, it is better to cut the lawn a little more often than to try to make up for lost time directly with a deeper cut. For example, if you were on vacation and now want to bring the lawn back to its length, it is better to mow it in several stages and days spread.
The quality of the lawn mower also determines the health of the lawn in the summer. Make sure that the cutting blades are sharpened. Dull blades can fray the lawn and damage it.
It is also recommended to mow the lawn on dry and not too hot days. For example, in the summer months you can use the morning hours to mow the lawn.
You can also use the cut lawn remains wonderfully as compost.
Tip: In summer, do not mow the lawn shorter than 5 cm. After the summer vacation, it is better to shorten the lawn in several stages so as not to overload it. Refrain from mowing the lawn when it is raining and use the dry morning hours.
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Watering
In the summer, of course, the lawn still needs to be watered ideally. Hot summer days cause much of the water to evaporate and to eliminate this nutrient deficiency, you should water it additionally.
Similar to fertilizing, you need to pay attention to the right amount of water. A lack of moisture can be just as dangerous as watering the lawn too much.
To determine the amount of precipitation, you do not need to be a meteorologist. It is enough to set up a rain gauge, which will determine the amount of precipitation that has fallen.
If there is no precipitation at all, it is advisable to water the lawn additionally about two to three times a week in summer. The lawn should be watered either in the morning or in the evening hours for optimal maintenance.
In the midday hours there is a risk that the lawn will burn and it should therefore not be additionally watered during the hot phases of the day. In addition, the water evaporates too quickly, so the water cannot be efficiently absorbed by the lawn in the first place, but is released back into the environment.
Ideally, add about 10 liters per cubic meter of water. This should be done over a period of half an hour. In this way, the water can be absorbed optimally.
During the vacation season, you should continue to pay attention to watering. Although the lawn can get along without care for two to three weeks, without water it will die in a very short time. If you can not find a vacation replacement, there are also automatic systems that allow you to ensure watering in the summer months.
Tip: For optimal summer care, water the lawn about two to three times in the morning or evening hours for about half an hour. The amount of water should not exceed 10 liters per cubic meter. Automatic systems can help to maintain the lawn perfectly even during the vacations.
During the summer months
The summer lawn should not be treated in the same way in every month. Depending on the month and different climate, the lawn should be cared for individually.
June
The first fertilizer was ideally already applied in the spring and extensive addition of fertilizer is now no longer necessary. Nevertheless, you should not completely abandon fertilizing.
Since the slow-release fertilizer is still effective in June, you only need to apply a maintenance fertilizer. Heat, dryness and additional activities such as playing or barbecuing make additional strain on the lawn. Therefore, depending on the stresses, maintenance fertilizing should be more detailed.
A fertilizer containing potassium protects the summer lawn from possible drying out and additionally strengthens its health. Thus, it should be ideally prepared for the hotter summer months.
July
Now the lawn is facing one of the warmest times of the summer. It is to be expected that the lawn will not be sufficiently supplied with water and that it will be exposed to high temperature loads.
Care should now be taken to water it supplementally about two to three times a week for about half an hour.
If the health of the lawn is poor, the new installation is limited. In all likelihood, the temperatures are too high and you should refrain from re-seeding to treat attacked turf.
Control of weeds is also not advisable, as these measures may put too much stress on the lawn.
In general, you should not put too much strain on the lawn and just make sure that it is mowed regularly and watered sufficiently.
August
Scarifying the lawn should be avoided as far as possible. The lawn is approaching winter and the peak of its regenerative capacity has already passed.
Therefore, spare the lawn and do not expose it to large loads. With these measures, you can still maintain a strong and well-groomed lawn in the summer in the long term.
Tip for lawn care in the summer
Summer is a very stressful time for the lawn. Make sure to water it sufficiently and mow it regularly. The lawn should not be cut shorter than 5 cm. Postpone time-consuming measures, such as weeding, until the following months.
The best lawn care for the summer is an optimal foundation in the spring. Fertilize the lawn in spring with a slow-release fertilizer, control any pests and prevent the spread of weeds.
Based on the healthy lawn in spring, the lawn in summer should also survive it well
