Lawn Care and Landscape Tips for the Summer

Summer is almost here, and we know the hot weather can be tough on lawns, landscapes, and trees. No one wants to spend the whole summer indoors. Everyone loves to hold outdoor barbeques, bonfire nights, relax by the pool, and other fun summer activities. Luckily, you can enjoy all these outdoor activities on your well-maintained lawn in the summer season.

Maintaining a lush lawn and keeping it healthy and beautiful in summer can be challenging. But with a few tweaks to your landscape care tasks and following the right tips, you can keep your lawn greenish and flowers blooming in the prolonged summer heat.

In this blog, we've shared the best lawn care and landscape tips you can use to keep your lawn looking wonderful this summer and beyond. So, keep your lawn looking its best all summer by mastering these summer care tips.

8 Summer Lawn and Landscape Tips to Keep Your Yard Looking Great

Here are the tips that can help your landscape flourish throughout the summer:

1. Water your lawn correctly

Summer watering does not mean watering frequently. The way you water your lawn is much more important than frequency. Overwatering and underwatering can both kill your plants. Therefore, irrigate your lawn smartly instead of drenching it. Water your lawn less often but water deeply for the healthiest grass. Remember water your plants in the morning or evening so the sun doesn't steal plant moisture.

Ideally, lawns should get one inch of water a week. However, the soil type varies, so you should know your soil type to water correctly. Plants in sandy soil need water more frequently than plants in clay soil.

In addition, use a drip irrigation system instead of hoses and sprinklers. In hot weather, water evaporates very quickly. Drip irrigation saves water by providing water directly to plants' roots without wasting it, so water doesn't evaporate. Also, this irrigation system is so efficient that it protects plants like roses and phlox from getting foliar fungal diseases.

Check out this great article on How to save water and money with a Drip Irrigation system.

2. Mow the lawn at the right height

You should mow the lawn high in summer to make the grass taller. The ideal lawn height for turfgrass is between 3 and 5.5 inches. Mowing the lawn too short makes it more liable to heat damage and drought stress. Mowing your lawn higher reduces water evaporation and shades soil, which keeps grassroots cooler, shades out weeds, and maintains soil moisture.

Also, taller grass reduces stress and aids in keeping grass lush green without needing extra fertilizer. It is also recommended to let the grass clippings lie on the lawn. This is called grass cycling, and it is very effective in saving time, money, and fertilizer. Grass clippings add moisture, organic matter, and nitrogen to the soil, which benefits the soil.

3. Fertilize in early summer

Fertilizing at the start of summer is one of the best steps to make your lawn look great through the summer. Doing so from mid-May to late June will provide your grass with nutrients that it needs before the growing season. Also, fertilizing at the perfect time makes your grass more heat resistant.

However, apply it cautiously because too much fertilizer can burn your lawn. So, use a fertilizer that is formulated for summer feedings and follow instructions properly. And if your yard has cool-season grass, don't fertilize it in the warmer season; instead, do it in spring or fall.

4. Add some shade

Add shade to the area where plants are exposed to blazing hot sunshine. You can easily put a temporary shade like a lattice panel, umbrella, or lawn chair, and it will make a significant difference for your delicate plants during the heatwave.

On the other hand, it is good to use shade cloth to create permanent heat protection and to shade larger sites. It'll bring down the temperature by 10 degrees or more. And, of course, you'll need something to support shade cloth over plants. For it, PVC piping, cattle fencing, chicken wire cylinders, and spare lumber are good options. Please don't put the cloth directly on plants; it'll reduce air circulation and not provide sun protection.

5. Cover the soil with organic mulch

A layer of organic mulch is incredibly helpful in beating the summer heat. Organic mulch reduces soil temperature, slows evaporation, and is an excellent option for covering gaps. Additionally, it also suppresses weed growth.

Add a 2–3-inch layer of mulch around flowerbeds and plants where you see bare soil. Just make sure to keep it away from tree trunks and plant stems to prevent rot and moisture buildup.

6. Remove weeds

Summer and weeds are best friends. They can be found in flower beds, your yard, your patio, and even the gaps in your pavement. So, pluck out weeds fast before they can bloom.

When the weed grows higher, it is hard to dig them out. Therefore, it is better to remove them when they're small and permanently remove them with roots. You can use an herbicide to eliminate broadleaf weeds, but they may hurt your grass. So, use these herbicides sparingly and consider hand-pulling the weeds.

7. Add some color

You may have a variety of perennials and shrubs in your landscape, but growing bright flowers and plants will make your yard shine apart. Fill gaps in your landscape with summer-blooming flowers and annuals such as zinnia, bacopa, coleus, and verbena to make your landscape look lively.

However, you should take care of the requirements of each plant and put them in an appropriate spot.

8. Make your lawn pests free

If you've bugs in your yard, they can destroy your landscape. Stressed plants are more susceptible to attack by pests and diseases. So, check your garden regularly and watch out for signs of any problems. Make your landscape bug-free as soon as possible.

Try not to have any stagnant water near your lawn. And add a birdhouse to the lawn to attract birds that eat pests. It'll protect your delicate plants from developing diseases in hot weather.

The Bottom Line

Summer is the favorite season for many of us. Between sunshine and long days, it is a great time to gather with friends to enjoy. If you host gatherings at your home, having a green, healthy lawn would be a part of your summer plans. And we know you want to keep your lawn lush and beautiful in summer too.

So, follow these lawn care tips to keep your yard looking the best to benefit everyone. These summer landscaping tips can help you keep your landscape beautiful all summer long. So, maintain your lawn, relax after work by sitting in your beautiful yard, and enjoy it.

Explore our Gardening Blogs for more helpful gardening tips and tricks to follow in summer.