Your Lawn Might Need Some TLC After The Hot Summer
I don’t know the numbers, but for me, it seemed this summer was less hot than last summer, and with the rain we’ve had in the last few weeks, Cache Valley seems to be doing okay. The exact numbers could say our summer was very hot, but regardless, the summer heat has doubtless been tough on our lawns. It may not be over either, but fall is on its way. Time to start thinking about how we can help our lawns recover from the heat. But how do you recover your lawn?
Wake Up The Grass
Water restrictions have had us going light on water for the past few months, so your lawn has been in survival mode for a while. There’s no question we’ve probably all got more yellow than we’d like. That’s okay; it’s not dead, it’s just dormant. When the temperatures start to drop, it’ll be time to wake it up. The aim will be to let it recover any lost strength before winter comes. There’s a few things you can do to help it.
1. Rake and Weed
There’s going to be a build-up of thatch and loose material from the summer. Some individual grass blades will possibly have died and tangled themselves up with the rest, weeds will be in the mess, and so on. You’ll want to use a rake to remove this detritus from your lawn so that only the strong grass remains. If you find any weeds still holding strong, pluck them up, too, as they’ll steal water from your lawn.
2. Aerate
If the ground around your lawn has become hard-packed over the summer, you’ll need to aerate it. Aeration will put small holes in the dirt, allowing it to decompact. This allows water and air to get into the ground more easily and helps replenish lost nutrients. This will help the grass recover faster.
3. Reseed Patches
If you followed all the proper steps to prepare your lawn for summer, most of it should have survived. Even so, it’s possible that you’ll have some dead patches here or there. If you find any, you’ll want to reseed. Spring is often the best, but if the patches are really bad, you can also reseed in the fall. This needs to be done at least two months before the first frost so the grass has time to establish its root systems. That means in the next couple of weeks if we’re worried about an early frost, or early September if we’re not. After weeding and dethatching, plant your seeds and then focus your watering efforts on the patches you’re trying to revive.
4. Fertilizing
You don’t want to fertilize during the summer. Your grass will try to grow during a period when the heat and lack of rain just won’t allow it. Wait until the summer heat fully breaks before fertilizing again. Once it’s cooled down, apply fertilizer once to help your grass recover it’s strength. If you’re trying to reseed this fall, wait until about three to four weeks after you plant.
Other Options?
It should be no trouble at all to recover your lawn with these steps, but if things got really bad, you might need some extra steps. 
If these aren’t working, there’s some other things you can consider trying.
1. Liquid Feeding
Sometimes, simple fertilizer isn’t enough on its own. If that isn’t perking things up, you can try liquid feed. These are organic liquid fertilizer solutions that can get absorbed through the roots just like water. This should help recovery.
2. Check the PH Balance
Your soil should have a proper level of acidity. Too high or low can hinder it’s growth. The pH balance should be around 5.8-6.5. If it’s off, you should take some effort to rebalance the pH levels. Lime is usually used to reduce increase the pH if it’s too low, while sulfate and sulfur are used to lower it when it’s too high. Check with your local garden store to find out exactly what your lawn needs and apply as directed.
It’s Easy To Recover Your Lawn After Summer
If you’ve planted the right grasses – which are required by law, so you should have – then your lawn shouldn’t have a problem recovering from the summer. Just the couple days of rain we had a week ago have completely perked up my lawn better than all of my watering efforts and summer isn’t even over yet. You shouldn’t have too much to worry about.
Nevertheless, if you want to get your lawn looking good quickly, these are the steps you should follow. They will help your lawn get back to its spring perkiness in no time. Some of these you can check on right away – weeding and dethatching for certain – others will want to wait until we’re sure the weather is going to cool off.
Need Help?
If you’re looking to help your lawn recover, but don’t now if you’ll have the time, or if you’re unsure when you should do things, we can help you out. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. We can help you get your lawn back in good shape after the summer heat.
