Summer in Texas can be brutal, especially for your yard. You work hard to make sure your yard looks its best. Taking a few preventative measures to help keep your yard healthy can make sure all your hard work doesn’t go to waste for the rest of the year. Check out these tips below:
1. Alter your Watering habits
There are a few things to make sure to take note of when watering your lawn in the summer:
Morning is the best time in the summer to water your lawn.
Follow the classic “deep and infrequent” philosophy. No need to water 5 or 7 days a week. On average, watering 2-3 days a week is more than enough to keep your plants and lawn looking their best.
If your water company has instated water restrictions, then you are somewhat limited on how much you can water. For established lawns/gardens, take advantage of your watering days, watering in the mornings and evenings to get the most out of your days. Watering an hour or more per zone when broken up between the morning and evening can really ensure a healthy, deep root zone. Of course hand water as needed.
For new landscapes, SAWS offers water variances to allow you to protect your invest. Click here to see water variances
2. Installing Mulch can be your plant and garden's best friend
The benefits of mulch are almost never ending. Having fresh mulch may look great in your beds, but also provides a huge leg up for your plants in harsh environments, like summer in San Antonio. By making sure your beds stay mulched, you’re helping retain vital nutrients and moisture in your beds for more efficient watering (and rain if you’re lucky). Mulch also helps with your weed population by ensuring limited sunlight reaches the soil and not allowing weed seed to germinate. For the most extreme cold and hot spells in San Antonio, Mulch helps to regulate temperatures to keep the plant from freezing or burning up.
3. Mow your grass a little bit higher
Keeping your grass a little higher than usual will help protect it from intense heat. Depending on your variety of grass, you should be mowing between 2.5-4". The big idea this time of year is to reduce shock. Remember though, never remove more than about 1/3 of the total grass length (except for scalping- ask about this beneficial WINTER chore)
4. Don’t leave items in your yard!
It’s a small detail, but can quickly cause you a lot of pain. If you leave items (toys, tools, etc.) in your yard in full sun, the grass will yellow and eventually die. Just do a quick check every morning to ensure no items are left in your yard to prevent unsightly yellow burns. A shovel left in your yard for two days can be a real eye sore in the end! Take a look at this great post on how to properly diagnose your lawn and fix yellow spots.
5. Fertilizing is a big no-no in the summer
Historically, fertilizing in the summer could mean the end of your healthy yard. Just simply avoid putting any fertilizers until after August. Typically, it’s best to fertilize your lawn in the spring and in the fall.