SYNOPSIS: The summer’s sun can spell fun for you, but disaster for your lawn. Here are some handy tips to help prevent summer lawn crises, and what to do when they fail!

Without proper and effective lawn care and maintenance, your lawn can really suffer from the sweltering summer heat. A recent article in Better Homes and Gardens espoused the importance of taking preventative care before the problems arise, rather than treating the symptoms as they appear. If you consider the fact that it takes a month to properly treat a lawn, then if you wait until the symptoms of a sick lawn appear, you will have to wait a month until those symptoms start to go away. However, if you start tending your lawn at the beginning of the summer, then your thick and vigorous lawn will be the best method of fending off diseases, weeds and insects. Here are some of the measures you can take:

Aerate and Fertilize: Make sure you have aerated and fertilized your lawn before it really gets going, early in the summer. If you have warm-climate grass, such as Bermuda, then give it nitrogen each month throughout the growing season.

Good Mowing: Grass responds much better to a blade that has been nicely sharpened. It will help to prevent some of the common grass diseases. Only cut a third of the grass blade, and keep gradually reducing the amount you cut as the temperature heats up. Remember, you are trying to create a thick and lush lawn.

Water: We all know to water, but many don’t know how to water properly. Make sure you water uniformly, deeply and infrequently. A good target to aim for is approximately one inch of water each week, regardless of source. To test whether your lawn is getting this amount uniformly, you can stick a screwdriver into the ground at various places, and if the lawn is getting enough water, it should go into the ground with ease.

Despite our best efforts early in the summer, your lawn can still have a number of problems. Here are some of the most common problems, and a few ways to tackle them:

Moss: Shady areas with drainage problems are targets for a hostile moss takeover. Rake out the moss ASAP and reseed any bare spots in the fall.

Grubs: If pieces of lawn come up easily, you probably have grubs. Examine the soil for white larvae, and if any are spotted, either spike the soil two inches deep in early fall, or use a special grub insecticide.

Weeds: You can prepare by using an herbicide early in the summer. If during the later summer months, weeds still appear, you can either remove them by hand, or spot-treat them with an herbicide, soap herbicides being the least toxic.

Strange Spots: If you cannot tell if the problem is disease, weeds or your neighbor’s dog, then take a 2-by-2-inch plug of grass and soil to your local nursery – they should be able to identify and help with the problem.

By following these guidelines, this should be the year your lawn becomes the envy of all the neighbors!