July Lawncare Tips for Irrigated Lawns

July and August are perhaps some of the hardest months on your lawns and gardens because not only are they struggling to look their best, they're facing challenges like drought-inducing heat waves, weeds at peak season, and hungry insects. Grass plants have few needs, but if those needs aren't met in July and August, the successive heat waves may leave your lawn brown and crispy until September.

Irrigation

Counting on enough rain fall in July to keep your lawn lush and green probably isn't going to work. Grass has this ability to go dormant in the hottest weeks of the year, appear to be dead, but then revive when the temperatures cool and the rainfall increases. While this is not the end of world, it's typically not the desired outcome.

The best time to water your lawn is early in the morning before the humidity picks up. Later in the evening when things have cooled down can work for lawns, but some garden plants are susceptible to mildew if left wet overnight on a regular basis. Make sure to water less often, once a week in the peak heat wave temperatures, and water long enough that water seeps deep into the soil. Shallow waterings will discourage plants and lawns from growing deep roots, and it's the deep roots that help them withstand extreme weather.

To take the guess work out of watering your lawn, consider installing an in-ground irrigation system. Built-in moisture sensors in the soil, rain gauges, and connections to local weather forecasts will make sure your lawn receives water when it needs it.

Mowing

In the hottest weeks of summer, more frequent mowings are better than cutting your grass really short to avoid mowing as often. Taller grass retains moisture better, helps the plant remain resilient to heat and pests, and helps the plants spread out faster to fill in the gaps.

Fertilizing

For lawns that are irrigated, July is a great time to fertilize your lawn for a summer boost. This is the time of year where lawns tend to go dormant because of the heat. If your lawn is irrigated and receiving the appropriate amount of water, fertilizing and stimulating new growth in these hot summer weeks can give your lawn a fresh green sheen and spruce it up until the cooler temperatures in fall arrive.

Lawn Care Bugs

July is the peak season for several lawn pests that can wreck proper havoc on your grass. Bugs such as the Hairy Cinch Bug, Bluegrass Billbug, and the Turfgrass Scale sap nutrients from your grass leaving them damaged and withered. If you notice areas turning yellow and dying (without other factors like pets), or patches of lawn stay brown and dormant even after the fall growing season is well underway, you may want to consult our lawn care experts to diagnose and resolve the issue so it doesn't ruin next year's growing season as well.

To learn more about July lawn care, or discuss lawn care & maintenance packages for Burlington and the surrounding area, get in touch with Nutri-Lawn Burlington Irrigation at 905-632-2445.