This time of year finds many lawns heavily stressed from summer heat and weeds. Many homeowners think the solution is to buy grass seed and throw it out there in hopes of counteracting this. Evergreen of Johnson City is here to remind you that summer is absolutely NOT the right time of year to manage any form of lawn seeding! Fescue grass seed is highly sensitive to drought and heat stress and, unless heavily watered on a regular basis, the majority of grass that is germinated during the summer will be lost due to heat stress. That adds up to a loss of time and money, neither of which you can afford! Here are some suggestions about what you CAN do to renovate and rejuvenate your summer-stressed lawn grass:
Despite our best advice, if you feel it is absolutely necessary to seed during the summer months, you MUST water the lawn frequently and regularly since the young grass root system is very shallow. Rain is helpful but cannot be relied upon for the frequent watering necessary.
As with many things, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! During summer, focus on watering your existing lawn. That is the best way to secure the grass you currently have and minimize weeds. Weed development is often established by lawn stress which is brought on by drought or other stressful conditions like high traffic. Simply keeping a lawn watered and actively growing is the key to keeping weeds out.
Once fall arrives, there is an ideal window for lawn renovation. For our region, that usually runs from late September thru early November but October is ideal. Air temps tend to fall while soil temperatures stay high – that’s the magic combination for strong germination!
Come by anytime and let us guide you through the necessary steps to preparing and managing a lawn renovation. A little expert advice can prevent a lot of wasted time and money. Proper preparation, seeding, seed type, rates of application, and follow up care are among the valuable tips that our experts can provide to ensure your lawn renovation success.
