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How to Maintain a Healthy Lawn in a Canadian Summer?
Healthy lawn may seem like a distant dream during summer. With the scorching sun rays, the incidents of getting droopy plants and, in worst cases, dead are common. But with proper care and a bit of awareness, you can have lush greenery on your lawn during summer.
Explore with us here tips for maintaining a fresh, lively lawn and how damaging summers can be.
Are Canadian Summers Really Harsh?
Summer temperatures can vary in different parts of Canada. Still, one can safely call Canadian summers hot, given its average impact. Many Canadian areas face extreme heat. To make situations worse, this season comes with scanty rainfall.
Further, summer temperatures are recorded to go above the average. Even West Canada, preferred for its pleasant climate, is suffering from extreme heat.
Does summertime call for Special care for plant life?
The answer is obviously yes. During extended periods of dry heat, a lawn can suffer heavy damage. It may develop a brown shade and stunted growth. The chances of the lawn surviving the dormant phase depend on its present state. A healthy lawn can fight the dormant phase for several weeks.
But, a damaged or poorly maintained lawn can hardly survive that long in scorching heat. So, good lawn care should start right from the onset of summer.
But specialized plant life never means emptying your pockets. Proper care always starts with you being resourceful and aware. There’s no use in having expensive gardening tools if you can’t even make time for consistent watering and mowing.
Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Lawn in Canadian Summer
Know Your Plants
Plants respond differently based on seasonal needs. You only need to keep cool-season grass alive during summer. But warm-season grasses require a lot of care to flourish fully. So, identify your grass type and then plan their care strategy.
Prioritize Watering At the Right Times
Watering is pretty important during summer when soil struggles to keep a sufficient water level. Make a habit of watering at an interval of 4 to 5 days during summer.
But, a good watering practice starts with detecting your soil type. Sandy soil requires watering at a gap of 3 to 4 days.
Further, summer care calls for watering at the proper time of the day. Watering early in the morning is the best for your lawn. Don’t water when the daytime temperature reaches its peak. Watering in the evening is also a bad strategy. The water stays stagnant at the root level until morning heat comes. And this is a great recipe for fungal diseases.
Mow the Right Way
Don’t mow low during summer. Cut your grasses from a higher height to prevent scorching heat from reaching the bottom layer of the lawn. This way, you can help your soil retain moisture better.
Keep the mowing height between 2.5 to 3 inches. Also, don’t mow regularly. The interval between any two consecutive mowing should be ideally 5 to 7 days.
Plus, keep your mowing blades sharp, which produces even cuts. Blunt blades cause tears in the grass, which eventually becomes yellow. The damaged grass draws more water and soil nutrients for recovery. When you have many such damaged grasses in the lawn, its overall health suffers.
Start with Bed Prep
You can use the early summer to prepare plant beds. Perennials planted during summer have better chances of reaching their full potential in the next year.
Aerate To Help Breathing
Warm-season grass types can benefit heavily from aeration. Aeration helps to break down the tightness of soil and thus improves penetration of oxygen and fertilizer in the soil layers. Use a gas-powered aerator to remove large chunks of soil and thatch (altogether called plugs).
The aeration should be followed by the application of weed killer. And don’t worry; the warm-season types grow fast during summer and fill the gaps steadily.
Stop the Weed Growth for Getting Healthy Lawn
You must consistently check for weed growth. Develop active and regular weed control. Weed treatment is a basic pillar of a healthy lawn during all seasons, including summer.
Plan Your Dethatching Routine Efficiently
Summertime calls for a properly executed dethatching. Remove the thatch if it has developed one-half inch thickness. Your warm-season types will thank you for an effective dethatching.
But avoid dethatching when your lawn is damaged or dormant.
Few Things to Keep in Mind for Healthy Lawns
- Consistently check the condition of your lawn during summers
- Don’t splurge on plants which grow best in winter
- Don’t overwater your lawn
- Look for professional landscaping services in Canada if you have a hard time managing your lawn
- Don’t wait to hire expert, professional care until the eleventh hour if you see your lawn plants developing brown spots fast
Do you want to have better and more strategic lawn care in summer?
With two decades of experience in shaping the lawns of countless properties, we can boost life in your summer lawn. Our landscaping services in Canada are comprehensive. We have satisfied a variety of landscaping requirements. Our results have helped clients enjoy the healthiest lawn even in difficult summers.
Also, have we mentioned our expertise in irrigation systems? We keep your plants healthy by developing smart irrigation systems. Besides intelligent watering, a healthy lawn relies on proper plant selection and arrangement. With our softscaping services, your lawn can have well-arranged plants that help with aeration.
So, don’t wait and waste time on DIY strategies. Give us a call to experience a lush, green lawn.
Final Words
Summers can be deadly for your lawn. But there are many ways to keep your lawn healthy during summer. Use the strategies to ease plant growth. But, take care of the timing of watering and other activities for lawn care to get their full efficacy.