Summer Lawn Care Tips

Your grass is exposed to a lot of wear and tear during the hottest months of the year. Our summer lawn care tips will come in handy: test your soil, mow according to your grass type, check your irrigation system, water correctly, control weeds, pests, and diseases, and fertilize as needed (among others).

How to take care of your lawn in summer

How you maintain your lawn in summer isn’t the same as in spring or fall.

In the spring, your grass has access to plenty of rain and moisture, allowing it to thrive and prepare for summer. In the fall, sunlight is less intense, and cooler temperatures promote healthier, more attractive grass. 

But the summer months can severely damage your lawn. Without proper care from June to September, the excessive heat and drought can cause it to turn dry and brown. Watering and fertilizing alone will not suffice; you’ll need to implement additional steps to preserve the health of your lawn in the summer:

Test the soil

Knowing the state of your soil can make or break your lawn.

To check your soil’s condition, conduct a soil test. You can acquire a testing kit from a garden store or contact your agricultural extension office for professional testing services. A lab soil test is typically more accurate than a testing kit. 

To send the samples out for testing:

• Collect soil samples from random spots around your entire lawn.
• Remove any visible debris.
• Spread the samples on some newspaper to dry.
• Break up clumps.
• Place the samples in airtight containers and label them clearly with information such as location and depth.
• Store the containers in a dry, cool area until they’re ready to be sent to the lab.

The soil test results will include your soil’s pH and nutrient levels. 

• pH levels: Soil pH indicates how acidic or alkaline your soil is. Optimal pH levels for most grass types range from 6.0 to 7.0. If your soil’s pH falls outside this range, add lime to increase pH for acidic soil or sulfur to decrease pH for alkaline soil.
• Nutrient levels: A soil test also will show nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels (N-P-K). These macronutrients are crucial for healthy grass: nitrogen encourages leafy, green growth, phosphorus supports roots and flowers, and potassium improves resistance to disease and stress.

Use the test results to apply the right fertilizers or soil amendments.

Mow high

Mowing your lawn keeps your grass tidy and makes it less inviting to pests and diseases. 

During the summer months, it’s important to mow taller to shade the soil, reduce evaporation, and promote deeper roots that can handle drought and high temperatures. Plus, taller grass looks more visually pleasing.

Use sharp mower blades to make clean cuts and reduce unnecessary stress on the grass. Cut less than ⅓ of your grass blades’ length each time and leave the clippings on the lawn as mulch. They’ll provide additional moisture and feed your lawn with nutrients, boosting its ability to withstand the summer months and continue to grow healthy.

Match the cutting height to your grass type, even if it looks different from your neighbor’s. This guide can help:

Grass name	Grass type	Recommended summer mowing height
Bahiagrass	Warm season	2 to 4 inches
Bermudagrass	Warm season	1 to 2 inches
Buffalograss	Warm season	2 to 3 inches
Carpetgrass	Warm season	1.5 to 2.5 inches
Centipedegrass	Warm season	1.5 to 2 inches
St. Augustinegrass	Warm season	2.5 to 4 inches
Zoysiagrass	Warm season	1.5 to 2.5 inches
Fine fescue	Cool season	2.5 to 3.5 inches
Tall fescue	Cool season	3 to 4  inches
Kentucky bluegrass	Cool season	2.5 to 3.5 inches
Perennial ryegrass	Cool season	2.5 to 3.5 inches

Water properly

If you want a healthy lawn, water it at the right time of day for the right amount of time. This is especially important during the hot summer months when high temperatures can cause:

• Wilted grass blades
• Reduced root growth
• Higher susceptibility to diseases and pests
  
• Water your lawn between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. to avoid evaporation and wind. Don’t water in the evening, as the moist environment that remains overnight can attract pests and diseases. If you have to water later in the day, do so at around 6 p.m. and use a drip irrigation system. It targets the grassroots directly without touching the foliage.
• To promote deep roots, water less often but for longer. Frequent short watering creates shallow, weak roots. Most grass cultivars need 1 to 1 ½ inches of water per week (this includes rainfall). Depending on the weather, aim for three 20- to 30-minute watering sessions weekly. If your grass looks parched, you can slightly increase the amount of water you provide, but monitor your lawn closely.
• Don’t overwater your grass if you are getting a lot of rain; water according to the weather conditions and your grass’ needs. Overwatering can result in weeds, fungal diseases, and damaged roots.
• Make sure to adjust your watering for your soil type. For example:
• Water sandy soil more frequently but for shorter periods (an exception). Due to its loose texture, this soil type can’t retain water as well as others.
• Water clay soil more slowly but for longer periods to avoid runoff. Clay soil particles are tightly packed, so water infiltrates the soil at a lower rate.
• Water loamy soil deeply to promote healthy roots and aim for a slow, steady flow of water to prevent runoff.
• Water silty soil gently and evenly, possibly using a sprayer or soaker hose. Water deeply, as silty soil can retain water well and grow healthy roots.

In a drought, local watering restrictions may apply. Follow these steps to do your part and support the environment:

• Follow the regulations set by your local authorities.
• When watering is allowed, do it efficiently. Invest in a drip irrigation system that directs water directly to the grass root zone to limit water waste.
• Introduce native plants or drought-tolerant grass into your landscape to conserve water and protect the environment. Since they’re adapted to the local climate, they require less water to survive and thrive.
• Collect rainwater in a barrel or another container to have access to water during restrictive periods.
• Focus on priority areas such as new grass, trees, or shrubs. These require more moisture to establish healthy roots and grow strong.

Control weeds

Left unchecked, weeds can overtake your yard and crowd out your turfgrass. Sometimes the summer heat can make your lawn look sparse, leaving room for weeds to grow. Some common summer weeds that can sprout in your yard include:

• Crabgrass: Has light green leaves that grow outward, forming a thick mat. It produces seed heads that look like fingers, typically in late summer, making it easy to identify in lawns and gardens. It’s low-growing with a coarse texture.
• Clover: Also low-growing with three leaves. Each leaf has a white, crescent-shaped marking. Produces small, round flower clusters that can be white or pink.
• Spurge: Forms mats with small, oval leaves that can be reddish or dark green with a red spot in the center. It produces tiny, low-key flowers. When broken, its stems release a milky sap. 
• Ground ivy: Also called creeping Charlie, ground ivy has scalloped, round leaves and small, tubular purple flowers like mini orchids. The leaves grow opposite each other along creeping stems that root at nodes as they spread. They’re dark green on top and light green or purple underneath.
• Purslane: A low-growing succulent weed that has thick, fleshy, reddish stems and small, green, paddle-like leaves. It forms tiny yellow flowers that open in full sunlight and can form mats that spread rapidly.
• Nutsedge: Boasts triangular stems and long, slender, bright green leaves in sets of three. Its seed heads are distinctive because of their golden, spiky, umbrella-shaped clusters. It looks like turf but grows taller.
• Chickweed: Grows low and produces small, oval leaves that grow opposite each other. It also has delicate flowers with five petals and thin, somewhat hairy stems. Chickweed forms dense mats that quickly cover the ground.
• Foxtail: Has long, slender leaves and tubular, bristly seed heads that resemble a fox’s tail and can be green or brown. According to UC Davis Veterinary Medicine, the seed heads “can pose severe health risks by migrating into tissues where they can cause abscesses and widespread infections.” They’re dangerous to both dogs and wild animals.
• Dandelion: Sports fern-like leaves that form a rosette at the base and bright yellow, round flowers that turn into fluffy seed heads in adulthood.

There are four ways to control weeds in your lawn: 

• Post-emergent chemical treatments: Target emerging weeds, disrupting growth and spread.
• Pre-emergent chemical treatments: Kill weeds before germination, preventing establishment.
• Natural remedies: Organic or homemade treatments you can make with household items. These include white (5% acetic acid) or horticultural vinegar (20% or 30% acetic acid), salt, corn gluten meal, soap solution, lemon juice, and essential oils.
• Hand pulling: Do this weekly or bi-weekly, removing young weeds before they bloom or grow deep roots. Use a screwdriver or dandelion fork to remove the entire weed, including the roots. 

For smaller areas, try hand pulling. For larger weed infestations, try natural remedies or chemical treatments.

Eliminate pests

Pest and insects love to munch on your turf’s roots. Some common summer lawn pests you may encounter include:

• Chinch bugs are difficult to spot due to their size. They’re red when young but turn black as they mature. They also have a white spot on their back in the shape of an ‘X.’ They love St. Augustinegrass and usually live in the thatch layer.
• Billbugs are a major issue. The adults chew grass blades and lay eggs, and the hatched larvae eat the grassroots. As larvae, they’re creamy white with a brown head and a C-shaped body. As adults, they’re gray or black with a cylindrical body, six legs, and a distinctive snout.
• Sod webworms are small, white or tan lawn-damaging caterpillars that have snout-like heads and eat grass blades. If you see moths flying as you mow, it’s an infestation. The grass also will appear brown and short in places.
• Grubs have a white or brown body that curls up if bothered. They eat grass roots, cutting off nutrients and water and eventually killing the grass. Beetles flying around suggest an infestation.
• Cutworms curl around and feed on grass blades. They have a shiny or dull, somewhat hairy body, grow up to two inches long, and can be brown, tan, pink, green, gray, or black. They’re active at night and hide in debris during the day.

To eliminate and prevent these pests, follow these practices:

• Identify the pest(s) correctly.
• Use natural pest predators, such as lacewings and ladybugs. You can purchase them online or at local garden centers.
• If that fails, use a chemical pesticide formulated for your pest type. Handle chemicals responsibly; follow the label instructions to prevent harm to your plants, pollinators, and the environment. 
• Plant herbs and flowers that keep bugs away in the yard, use Diatomaceous earth, or make your own pest-repellent mixture with vinegar, essential oils, vegetable oil, or liquid soap.
• Maintain a healthy lawn and landscape: keep your soil healthy with mulch or compost, fertilize right, irrigate as needed, prune, and monitor.
• Use physical controls such as netting, garden fabrics, or row covers to protect against insects.
• If possible, remove pests by hand, such as caterpillars, beetles, and larvae.

Get rid of diseases

A disease-free lawn is a healthy lawn. As summer stressors wreak havoc on your lawn, it can become vulnerable to diseases unless cared for correctly. The most common summer lawn diseases include:

• Brown patch: You’ll notice round patches of brown or dead grass, varying in size from a few inches to a few feet. The edges are dark purple, particularly when there’s morning dew, while the center may still be green and healthy.
• Gray leaf spot: Initially, you’ll see small, round, wet-looking spots on the grass. These spots become gray with brown or dark purple borders. As the disease worsens, the spots blend into large, discolored patches. In severe cases, the grass can look burned, especially in hot and humid weather.
• Dollar spot: It looks like small, straw-colored patches of grass about 2 to 3 inches wide. The grass blades have tan spots with reddish-brown edges. In severe cases, the patches join to form larger areas. You might see this when there’s dew.
• Red thread: It looks like pinkish-red, thread-like strands on the grass blades and stems. The grass forms uneven patches from a few inches to several feet across. Inside these patches, the grass gradually turns brown and becomes thinner.
• Pythium blight: Small, wet, greasy spots appear on the grass and quickly turn brown, forming circular patches. These patches expand rapidly in hot and humid conditions, making the grass look matted, slimy, and white with fungus.
• Summer patch: You’ll see uneven, circular patches of yellow grass, from several inches to 18 inches in size. They’ll have healthy grass in the middle and wilted, browning grass around the edges. Over time, these patches may blend, causing thinner turf.
• To keep your lawn disease-free in summer:

Remove thatch from your lawn if it’s thicker than half an inch to prevent pathogens and diseases.

• Overseed your lawn with disease-resistant grass varieties to increase your turf’s resilience. These can be tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, and Zoysiagrass.
• If diseases are present, apply a fungicide and follow the label instructions. After a while, switch to another type to prevent resistance development.
• Improve airflow and sunlight exposure by trimming trees and shrubs. This reduces humidity levels that foster diseases.  
• Inspect your lawn regularly to catch problems early. Check for discoloration, spots, patches, and unusual growth patterns.

Remove excessive thatch

Thatch is a layer of roots, dead grass, and other organic material that builds up between the soil and your lawn. When this layer grows thicker than ½ inch in warm-season grasses or ⅓ inch in cool-season grasses, it prevents air, nutrients, sunlight, and water from reaching the soil and roots.

• Dethatching is removing some of the thatch layer, and it offers several benefits for the health and visual appeal of your lawn:
• Better airflow: Removing thatch allows air to reach the soil and roots more effectively, promoting healthier grass or plant growth.
• Better water absorption: Dethatching helps water penetrate the soil more easily, contributing to proper root moisture levels and reducing standing water and runoff.
• Enhanced nutrient uptake: Eliminating thatch helps fertilizer nutrients get to the roots faster, leading to a stronger and more radiant lawn.
• Increased curb appeal: A thatch-free lawn looks more lush, vibrant, and eye-catching.
• Stronger roots: Without thatch, grassroots can grow deeper and stronger, making your lawn more resilient to drought, weeds, fungal diseases, and pests.
• Less soil compaction: When combined with aeration, dethatching helps reduce soil compaction and improve lawn health.
  

• Dethatch your cool-season grass (typical in the northern parts of the U.S.) in late summer to early fall, during the grass’ active growing season.
• Dethatch your warm-season grass in early summer, also during its vigorous growth stage. You’ll find warm-season grasses in the southern parts of the U.S. or in the Transition Zone (the USDA hardiness zone map can help you determine which grasses and plants thrive in your location).

Depending on your thatch severity, you may use any of the following tools:

• Manual dethatcher
• Electric dethatcher
• Power rake
• Vertical mower
• Tow-behind dethatcher

Your local garden center or home improvement store will carry the various tools mentioned and offer rental services. Professional dethatching services range from $145 to $247.

No matter the method, you’ll want to mow your grass a bit lower than normal (to about half its regular height) before dethatching. This allows easier access to the thatch layer, puts less stress on the grass, as the mower blades can focus on the thatch rather than damaging the longer grass blades, and ensures effective thatch removal. 

Also, water your lawn lightly a day before to make it easier for the tools to penetrate and lift the thatch. And don’t forget to wear protective gear: gloves, safety glasses, and long-sleeved clothing.

After dethatching, rake up the debris. For an eco-friendly approach, try backyard composting instead of disposal.

Overseed a warm-season lawn

To maintain a dense, carpeted lawn year-round, you should know how to overseed. When you overseed, you spread new grass seed over your existing lawn, replacing dwindling grass with new growth. It’s a must-have task whether you’re starting a new lawn or fixing a bare spot.

Overseed your warm-season lawn in the spring through early summer. This grass type grows best in the South, in 80°F to 95°F heat. Warm-season grasses include:

• Bahiagrass
• Bermudagrass
• Buffalograss
• Centipedegrass
• St. Augustinegrass
• Zoysiagrass

Dethatching (mentioned above) before overseeding will help your grass take root better. Afterward, lightly rake the soil to cover the seeds or apply a thin layer of topsoil or mulch to protect them from birds and enhance moisture retention for germination.

Fertilize a warm-season lawn

Summer conditions, including increased foot traffic, heat, and drought, can stress the lawn. Fertilization helps it recover and maintain its vigor despite various stressors.

Summer is the ideal time to feed your warm-season grass. Fertilize it once in early summer and once in late summer. Add some organic fertilizer, such as manure, bone meal, or compost to your regular fertilizer for an extra nutrient boost. 

Choose between slow-release and quick-release fertilizers:

Fertilizer type	Pros	Cons
Slow-release	✓ No toxic buildup on the soil ✓ Helps with water movement and soil structure ✓ Introduces beneficial soil microbes ✓ Safer to use around children and pets	✗ Lower concentrations of nutrients ✗ Takes longer to absorb ✗ Costs more
Quick-release	✓ Lower cost ✓ Highly concentrated ✓ Acts faster ✓ Higher nutrient ratio	✗ Can cause more toxic buildup ✗ Made from synthetic materials ✗ Can pollute groundwater

Likewise, choose between organic and synthetic fertilizers:

Fertilizer type	Pros	Cons
Organic	✓ Doesn’t burn lawns ✓ Slow and steady nutrient release ✓ Contains many trace minerals and balanced nutrition for your grass ✓ Improves soil health	✗ Less nutrient release in cooler temperatures ✗ Costs more ✗ Dependent on microorganisms in the soil ✗ Can cause harmful runoff
Synthetic	✓ More commonly available ✓ Formulas made for exact lawn needs ✓ Acts quickly ✓ Costs less	✗ Shorter lifespan ✗ Can deteriorate soil ✗ Can burn lawn ✗ May cause chemical runoff

Your choices will depend on your personal lawn care goals, soil health, and environmental considerations. 

Remember, not enough fertilizer causes poor root development, while excess amounts can kill your lawn by overloading it with nutrients. Over-applying fertilizer can also cause fertilizer burn. High temperatures make water evaporate faster from the soil, drying it out. This increases the effect of the fertilizer salts, causing plants to lose more moisture.

Pro tip: Water your lawn lightly after fertilizing to help the nutrients penetrate the soil and reach the root zone. 

Avoid excessive foot traffic

Everyone barbecues or lounges on the lawn in summer. However, excessive traffic can severely damage the grass blades and crowns, which are already stressed by high temperatures. Constant walking over the same areas can cause thin grass or bare spots and compact the soil.

As much as possible, stay off the lawn to preserve its health and appearance. Here’s how:

• Install pathways: Lay down stone, gravel, or wood chips pathways in high-traffic areas to direct foot traffic away from the lawn. Alternatively, use stepping stones or pavers.
• Install barriers: This can include low fences, decorative barriers, ornamental plants, hedges, or shrubs.
• Create designated play areas: Place outdoor rugs or mats in areas where your kids can play without damaging the grass. Train your pets to use these designated areas.
• Use signs: Polite signs can remind people to stay off the grass in particularly vulnerable or newly-seeded areas.
• Encourage alternative lounge areas: Think patios, decks, or other hardscapes for outdoor activities. Place furniture in these areas for comfort when sitting. Educate family members and friends about the importance of lawn upkeep.

FAQ about summer lawn care tips

How can I best protect my lawn from pet damage in summer?

Create designated play pet areas, clean up waste promptly, and water spots where your furry friends urinate to dilute the nitrogen and prevent grass burning.

What are some drought-tolerant grasses?

Drought-tolerant grasses can handle the hot summer months. Some excellent choices include Kentucky bluegrass, red fescue, bahiagrass, Zoysiagrass, St. Augustinegrass, and bermudagrass. 

What can I do if I overwater my grass in summer?

Fortunately, your overwatered lawn can recover if you make proper adjustments:

• Reduce the frequency of your waterings, soak the soil when you irrigate, and allow the soil to dry between sessions to help the root system recover. Also, watch the weather closely to avoid combining irrigation with rainfall and choking your grass.
• Make sure your soil is well-draining to prevent waterlogged conditions in the future. This means knowing your soil type.
• Cut your grass according to its recommended height. Mowing taller will help the grass better protect the soil and retain necessary moisture.
• Overwatering causes soil compaction, which can be relieved with core aeration. This helps air, water, and nutrients correctly enter and circulate through the soil.

Leave lawn care to the pros

Summer is the perfect time to gather with friends and family to enjoy the beautiful weather. But you can’t have a backyard get-together with a rough-looking lawn.

If you need help keeping up with summer lawn care, contact a local Lawn Love pro. They can help with anything from mowing to fertilization to weed control.

Main Photo Credit: Kirill Gorlov | Adobe Stock Free | License