Last updated on October 23rd, 2023 at 08:53 pm
In summer, the lawn is exposed to high stress due to direct sunlight and high temperatures. While a healthy lawn is very resilient, improper lawn care can cause the lawn to turn brown and lose its healthy green color. This indicates that the lawn is not doing well. A common source of error is mowing the lawn when it is sunny.
After all, you probably just want to do something good by mowing the lawn. But when the sun is shining you should pay attention to some things so as not to harm the lawn. So how should you mow the lawn when the sun is shining?
Here you will learn the most common mistakes and how to avoid them.
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Do not cut the lawn too short
Intuition tells us that the shorter the lawn, the less water and nutrients it needs to survive. Therefore, it would only be logical to keep the lawn short in the summer.
Our intuition is not correct here and could actually cause harm to the lawn. If you cut the lawn to a short 2 centimeters in summer, there is a high probability that it will not survive this in the long run. Especially if the sun should shine more intensively for several weeks, mowing to such a short blade length is very dangerous.
The lawn is harmed in two ways by the short cut.
Normally, the longer blades provide shade for the roots. The roots are thus protected from direct sunlight. If the grass blades are cut shorter now, the roots are exposed. These dry out faster and have trouble coping with the high temperatures. So longer blades provide protection for the roots underneath.
The second reason why the lawn should not be mowed too short when the sun is shining is possible sunburn. Perhaps it may sound absurd at first, but lawns are exposed to similar dangers as humans when the sun shines. If the sun shines on the short blades of grass for too long, they will turn brown.
In a short time the lawn will retreat and in the places with the damaged brown lawn weeds will form. Clover in the lawn is the result, as it is better protected against direct sunlight. Then it is only to wait and laboriously remove the clover to create enough space for the lawn again.
Once the clover has been removed, it is necessary to sow new grass in the bare spots. From here on, it is a long process until the new lawn can establish itself.
To avoid these problems, you should cut the lawn no shorter than 4 centimeters. This way you will give the roots enough shade and the lawn will be able to thrive even in summer.
The lawn can be cut when it has a length of about 8 centimeters. Here, however, you should not make a science out of mowing the lawn. If the lawn is clearly too long, it is better to reach for the lawn mower and shorten them to a length of 4 centimeters.
Do not blast the lawn
In terms of summer and hot temperatures, our intuition leaves us a second time. Because while we humans need to drink a lot, especially in hot temperatures, this is somewhat different for the lawn. When this is supplied with water during the hot hours of the sun, it cannot absorb it so well and therefore the lawn sprinkling must also be adjusted when the sun is shining. The burning glass effect is considered disproved, but you should still take precautions.
It is best to water the lawn either in the early morning hours, or in the evening. During the day and when the sun is shining strongly, the soil is very dry and cannot absorb the water at all. Much of the water evaporates and is not absorbed by the roots in the first place.
Another fallacy is that you should water the lawn as often as possible in hot temperatures. Normally, the lawn should be watered once a week. In very hot temperatures, you can extend this to two watering sessions.
Here, you should proceed in such a way that you apply an amount of 10 to 25 liters per square meter per watering. The water should be applied in a longer period of time. For the maximum amount of water, the lawn should be watered for about three hours.
Do not fertilize the lawn in the heat
When fertilizing, you should also pay attention to details so as not to burn the lawn. During a normal season, the lawn should be fertilized three times. It is recommended to fertilize at the beginning of the season in April, during the peak of growth in June and at the end of the season around August. In this way, the lawn is supplied with sufficient nutrients throughout the year.
When it comes to fertilizer, there are several types. Special care should be taken when applying a liquid fertilizer. On very warm sunny days, the liquid fertilizer can cause the blades of the lawn to burn.
Therefore, it is advisable if you apply the fertilizer in the early morning, preferring to wait for a day when the sun is not shining all day. You can do the fertilizing right before watering.
Watering after fertilizing also has the advantage that the fertilizer is flushed into the soil with the water. In this way, the fertilizer does not remain on the blades of grass, but penetrates into the soil.
Rather mow in the afternoon when the sun is shining
Mowing the lawn in the morning puts additional stress on the lawn. Although the sun is not yet directly involved here, in the following hours, however, the sun burns on the “damaged” blades. Here the danger is great that the lawn can burn.
This effect is intensified by the dew that has settled on the blades of the lawn in the morning hours. Therefore, if the sun is strong, the lawn should be mowed in the afternoon. Here it has enough time to close the cuttings again.
The next morning, the risk of sunburn is not so great and overall this is the healthiest method of mowing the lawn in the sun. Overnight, the lawn has enough time to recover.
Therefore, if the sun is strong, the lawn should be mowed in the afternoon.
Respect rest periods
In addition to weather conditions, the time of day and the day of the week play a role. After all, lawn mowing is not allowed every day and at any time. Especially when the sun is shining and many people are in the garden, you will not make friends if you mow the lawn during the quiet hours.