High temperatures and limited rainfall, combined with barbecues, games and parties, can take a toll on your lawn during the summer. Help your lawn be its best in every season with these tips from lawn-care experts. 

CREATE A LAWN-CARE PLAN

First, analyze the type of grass you currently have or are planning for. Take note of the surroundings, such as climate, landscaping and soil type. Each lawn is unique and to make your lawn the best it’s ever been, you may need to modify your plan to fit both the type of grass and your lawn’s surroundings.

Ward Upham, horticultural and master gardener specialist for K-State Research and Extension (KSRE), breaks down the needs of a home lawn-care plan. 

 “In Kansas, we are in a transition area where warm- or cool-season grasses can exist, although they are treated differently,” Upham says. 

If you are having a difficult time determining which grass species you would like to plant, Upham provides advice based on the current water climate. 

 “A cool-season, higher-cut grass equals a deeper root system,” Upham says. “With water restrictions, 
warm-season grasses are much more drought-tolerant.”

Warm-season grasses (Bermudagrass, zoysiagrass and buffalograss) require less moisture than cool-season grasses (bluegrass, fescue and ryegrass).

LAWN IRRIGATION

After the spring growing season, summer brings abundant heat stress to lawns, which is damaging to growth. According to KSRE’s horticulture report, “Maintaining Good Lawns with Less Water,” lawn watering represents the largest amount of outdoor residential water use during the summer. However, 50 percent of the water applied to lawns is wasted. Deep watering can have a lasting and beneficial impact compared to short, everyday bursts. Lawns need at least one inch of water per week and possibly more when the heat is severe. 

“Watering a lawn infrequently with a deep soaking is the best way to develop deep roots,” Upham says, which in turn helps lawns adapt to dry climate conditions. 

KSRE’s turf specialist, Jared Hoyle, warns that overwatering can hurt turf grass and flood the soil, especially during times of sufficient rainfall. Before watering your lawn for the week, consider how much moisture it has already received from rainfall. For efficient watering, only give your lawn what it needs. 

MOWING RIGHT

During drought-like conditions, it is not recommended to mow your lawn, as lawns already under stress are limited in their ability to recover.

The correct mowing height is determined by the species of grass, which can have various growth habits. The need to worry about lawn height is much more important in cool-season varieties. Cool-season grasses are generally mowed higher than warm-season grasses since they grow upright. A taller cut encourages a deeper root system, aiding in the vitality of the grass.

“Cool-season turf grass, like tall fescue and bluegrass, are meant to be trimmed taller, around three inches,” Hoyle says.  Warm-season grasses do well when they are maintained at a low height. 

“Mow at two inches,” Upham suggests. “These grasses can be mowed lower, but scalping must be avoided.”

MORE THAN MOWING

 As summer progresses and maintaining your lawn at the right height becomes a challenge, it is often helpful to mow in different patterns. 

According to Grasshopper Mowers, a Kansas Farm Bureau member benefit provider, mowing dramatic patterns and lawn stripes is successful in flexible grass varieties, such as tall fescues and bluegrass. 

“Having a good lawn doesn’t occur overnight, it’s a year-round process.”

— Jared Hoyle

These grasses are mowed at a taller height and the blades bend more easily than warm-season grasses. 
 Grasshopper's Mike Simmon says zero-turn mowers are a helpful lawn tool.

“Grasshopper Mowers are designed for striping with properly spaced tires, perfect airflow and standard heavy-duty striping kits,” Simmon says. “Quality equipment means more productivity and less downtime.”

 Admittedly biased, he says Grasshopper Mowers are a great choice.

 “Grasshopper Mowers are built to last, with fewer maintenance requirements and longer service intervals to make owning and using a Grasshopper Mower easier and less costly than other mowers.”

FERTILIZER NUTRIENTS 

 When fall arrives, let warm-season grasses transfer into dormancy. By doing so, the dead grass on top will create a mulching effect for winter. Upham recommends using fertilizer sparingly and taking note of the different needs of cool- and warm-season grasses.

According to another KSRE horticulture report, “Fertilizing Kansas Lawns,” the optimal time to apply fertilizer on warm-season grasses is in the late spring or early summer. Warm-season grasses should never be fertilized after August 15.

Cool-season grasses require the opposite.  “If you fertilize in the summer, you will set your [cool-season] grass up for drought stress,” Upham says. 

With cool-season grasses, Upham recommends waiting until fall to fertilize and watering immediately after application for best results. 

Hoyle adds that strategic application of fertilizer is key. 

“Having a good lawn doesn’t occur overnight, it’s a year-round process,” Hoyle says. “The lawn care you’re able to provide in one season helps the next season.” Your lawn will pay you back for the attention and care you give to it. However, it’s not the amount of work you put into your lawn, but when and how you provide care that matters most. 

Beautiful lawns come from seasons of good care. Correct fertilization, careful watering, proper mowing height and a variety of mowing patterns are all factors that contribute to producing a consistent and beautiful green lawn all summer long.