Summer is the best time to show off your lawn. However, you’ll need to do a bit of work to keep it looking pristine the entire season. Unfortunately, a few landscaping mistakes can ruin your property’s curb appeal.
To make sure your efforts in maintaining your lawn and landscaping don’t go to waste, the outdoor living experts at Backyard Reflections list the lawn and landscape do’s and don’ts for summer.
Landscaping Do’s
- Keep an eye out for pests – Common lawn pests include white grubs or beetle larvae, chinch bugs, sod webworms, armyworms and cutworms. Of these five pests, white grubs can cause the most damage. In early spring, white grubs hiding in the ground work their way up and start feeding on the grass’ roots and prevent plants from drawing water from the soil. By early summer, some may begin to pupate and transform into adult beetles, leaving behind brown turf patches and dead grass.
The best way to get rid of lawn pests is to know their life cycle and symptoms so you can apply pest treatment at optimal times. For instance, beetles usually lay their eggs in the soil in midsummer, and as such, pest treatment needs to be applied around this time. For more tips on how to get rid of common lawn pests, you can consult a landscape expert. - Avoid mowing down more than a third of the grass – You should mow your lawn regularly, but don’t overdo it. As a rule of thumb, around two-thirds of the grass should remain after a single mow.
- Make sure your lawnmower has sharp blades – The grass blades be cut cleanly, not frayed at the tip. Frayed tips can make your lawn more vulnerable to pests and diseases.
- Water your lawn deeply – Water your lawn deeply (roughly 45 minutes per station) three to five times a week to encourage the grass’ roots to grow.
- Plant drought-tolerant plants – It’s important that you regularly water your plants to keep. However, if you just don’t have the time for lawn maintenance, you can choose drought-tolerant plants instead. These plants don’t need a lot of water to survive, making them ideal for low-maintenance lawns. If you don’t have a lot of time for lawn maintenance, there’s also the option of hiring a landscaping company to take care of your lawn and improve its landscape design.
- Fertilize warm-season grass – If you’re using chemical fertilizers, make sure to choose one that’s suited to the soil on your lawn.
Landscaping Don’ts
- Attempt to treat a pest problem yourself – It’s nearly impossible to find all the warning signs of pest damage. That’s why if you suspect pests are damaging your lawn, it’s best to consult a landscape expert.
- Forget to mow your lawn regularly – Regularly mowing the grass not only helps improve your lawn’s curb appeal but also helps improve the grass’ health by making sure sunlight and water are distributed evenly.
- Water your lawn in the afternoon or at night – The best time to water plants is in the early morning when temperatures are not hot enough to cause water to evaporate.
- Overfertilize plants – Chemical fertilizers give faster results because they readily provide nutrients to plants. However, because of this, there’s a risk you might use too much fertilizer and end up harming the plants. That’s why when using chemical fertilizers, you should always follow the instructions in the packaging and use the correct amount. Overfertilizing is less of a concern if you’re using organic fertilizers because they slowly release nutrients.
- Allow unnecessary foot traffic – Walking or playing on the lawn under intense heat can easily damage the yellowing portions of your lawn.
For more tips on how to keep your lawn looking great all summer, consult an experienced landscape design company.
Looking for design experts in your area?
Backyard Reflections, a family-owned and -operated company with 20 years of experience, offers a wide range of professional landscaping and outdoor living services. To request a consultation, call us at (320) 274-6336 or (218) 454-1065 or fill out this form.