Prepare your Lawn for Extreme Weather this Summer

Flexibility and a well-managed lawn are the key to surviving the deluge-or-drought according to Toro.

Last summer, your lawn suffered from the drought.  Who knows what extreme weather we’ll deal with this season.  Here are a few tips for protecting your lawn from too much or too little rain.

Aerate your Lawn
Air is essential for good growth so the turf should then be spiked at 6 inch intervals to a 6 inch depth with a garden fork or a proprietary aerator that removes plugs of soil (these can often be rented).

Feed and Weed
As the temperature rises, a granular total lawn fertilizer will help to invigorate the lawn. These effectively boost growth and tackle suppressing ‘interlopers’.  Feeding should continue monthly through the summer, and in the autumn a high-potash fertilizer should be applied to keep grass luxuriant over the winter.

Mowing
Weekly mowing is preferable in late spring – keeping grass about one inch high – cutting too short should be avoided as this weakens growth. If the weather does get very dry, cut should be heightened to around two inches and mowing frequency reduced. In dry weather, clippings should be left to shower and cool the surface, or a mulching mower such as one of the Toro® Recycler® mowers can be used. These chop the cuttings up very finely and force them back into the lawn where they provide valuable nutrients and help to prevent the turf drying out.  The “Recycle on Demand” feature on many Toro mowers means the user can switch between collecting cuttings and recycling/mulching at the push of a button, making it easy to react to whatever conditions the weather brings.

If it becomes necessary to water the lawn, wasteful evaporation can be avoided by watering in the early morning, late evening or, using a timer, at night.  And even if watering does have to stop completely for a while and the lawn goes very brown, it will recover once the rain comes. We saw that happen last summer.

For lawn care tips along with the finest lawn care equipment by Toro, visit Crescent Avenue Gardens now on Crescent Avenue between East State and North Anthony in Fort Wayne.