Easy Ways to Maintain a Healthy Lawn in the Summer

Within 6-8 weeks of feeding, microbes in the soil have processed most of the nutrients for your lawn to absorb. You need to replenish these nutrients with another feeding. A well-fed lawn grows in thick, crowding out weeds and cooling the soil, which helps it handle the heat. Also, if you feed your lawn with Scotts® Turf Builder® Lawn Food, you don't have to worry about the temperature. However, if your lawn has gone dormant, hold off on feeding until rain revives it.

If you cut your grass short, you're short-changing your lawn. Longer grass allows the growth of longer roots, which can reach down for moisture even on hot, dry days. Just set your mower on one of the highest settings. You'll be surprised what a difference this simple step can make.

If your grass has been cut short all season, you're going to have to water more frequently. But even longer grass needs moisture. So if you choose to water during a dry spell, be sure to water deeply and infrequently. Frequent, shallow watering encourages grass to grow short roots, causing the grass to stress out during droughts. An inch of water a week serves as a good rule of thumb for keeping your lawn green during the hot summer. Just be sure to water as early as possible in the morning, between 6AM and 10AM, to help reduce wasteful evaporation.

Older lawns may have grass varieties that just can't handle the heat. The grass may grow in bunches or have thick, ugly blades. Also, a hot summer can leave bare spots and thin areas around the lawn. New grass varieties have been developed to be able to handle scorching heat and still look good. Tall fescue mixes are great for lawns subjected to scorching sun and high heat. Scotts® Turf Builder® Heat-Tolerant Blue® Mix, which stays green even in scorching heat and drought and aggressively spreads to fill in bare spots. Scotts® Turf Builder® Southern Gold was developed to thrive in harsh summer conditions. The best time to reseed lawns with a tall fescue mix is in fall or early spring when conditions are optimal for grass growth.

Or, consider overseeding your existing lawn with Scotts® Turf Builder® Clover Lawn which is specially formulated with strawberry clover to establish quickly. Adding clover to your existing lawn is a great way to create a green, low maintenance lawn that doesn't need a lot of water. It's deep roots help your lawn stay greener, longer during short-term drought, and when you return the clover clippings to the lawn after mowing, it self-fertilizes – meaning less work for you! 

Let Scotts make it easy for you. Sign up for our monthly email and we'll tell you what to do each month. Or, download our My Lawn app and have the convenience of Scotts' expert lawn care advice right on your smart phone.