How To Get Your Grass Green

Summer Lawn Care — How To Keep Your Grass Green In Summer

Following the hottest summer that the Green Genie team has experienced in a long time, you may be left looking at the yellowing remains of your lawn and wondering where it all went wrong. Don't worry, all is not lost — start by checking out the first post in our Summer Lawn Care series — How To Save Your Lawn After A Drought.

Now is a great time to start thinking about how you can help your lawn to not only survive next summer, but to thrive.

How do you keep your grass green all summer long?

Summer heat can take its toll. If you mow too short, over-water your lawn, or experience a drought, your grass could quickly become dormant or die. But it's not just heat that you need to consider — there are a number of factors that can prevent your lawn from looking its greenest.

Read on and follow Green Genie's advice — we've got you covered to keep your grass green, all summer long…

Prevention is better than cure

Plan ahead by adjusting your mower to cut the grass a bit higher than usual in the Summer months. Taller grass will shade the soil which protects it from drying out, leading to improved root growth. As a bonus, a thick lawn with good roots helps prevent weeds.

A sharp approach to mowing

A blunt mower blade tears grass, creating ragged edges that provide an opening for disease. It's a good idea to replace your mower blade annually, but you should also sharpen your mower blade regularly to get better use out of it. When to sharpen your mower blade?

To mulch or not to mulch?

If you're mowing grass at the right height, you can let clippings lie on the lawn (also known as mulching). Leaving clippings returns nutrient to the lawn, whereas removing the clippings takes nutrient away — which should then be replaced with fertiliser.

But beware — either use a mulching mower, or cut your lawn weekly to ensure your clippings are short. If your grass is too long, leaving the clippings could have the opposite effect — leaving clumps of grass that suffocate the lawn underneath. Also, don't mulch if you have more than a very few weeds — mulching simply spreads the seeds.

Water well, but not every day and not at night!

Grass likes to be watered well, in order to establish a deep, healthy root system. Light, frequent water (for example, daily sprinkling) encourages a shallow root system. It's better to water deeply and infrequently — with enough water to penetrate the soil to 15cm.

It's best to water your lawn early morning or late afternoon — the sun's heat won't evaporate the water, which is better for your grass and helps to save water too. Avoid watering at night — cool, dark and moist are the perfect conditions for lawn disease activity, so allow time for your lawn to 'dry' before evening sets in.

A dog is not your lawn's best friend

Man's best friend is in the dog house, as far as your lawn is concerned. Dog urine — especially that of a bitch whose urine is more potent — leaves dead spots on a lawn. If you see dying grass caused by your furry friend's urine, flush the area with water to dilute the soil. Again, prevention is better than cure — set up an area of the garden with mulch and train your dog to use that area, and only that area, when they need to wee. The same goes for dog poo — pick it up and dispose of it.

Get serious about pest control

Lawn pests are a problem, and never more so than in summer:

Crickets lay their eggs in February — nymphs (immature adults) emerge between November and January and adults appear from February. The adults live in cracks in the soil and feast on newly growing crowns.
Black beetle outbreaks are worse in higher than average temperatures, and a black beetle infestation will kill-off your lawn.
Other pests at all times of year in New Zealand include grass grubs, sod webworms and porina.

A regular lawn treatment will prevent your lawn becoming infested in the first place — we've said it twice and we'll say it again — "prevention is better than cure!"

Keep off the grass?

What's the point of a lawn, if you can't enjoy it? Backyard cricket, BBQs, paddling pools — the Kiwi summer revolves around getting out in the garden. With a little consideration, enjoying your grass doesn't have to lead to destroying your grass.

If you're using a paddling pool, empty it out immediately after use and store it somewhere off the grass — leaving large areas of grass covered for even short periods leads to yellow or brown patches of dormant or dead grass.
Similarly, if you have a 'moveable' sandpit (e.g. one of those plastic clamshells, not a dug-in pit) — try to place it on an area that's not grass. It's not feasible to empty a sandpit after a single-use, so choose where you place it with care.
Driving or parking on the lawn leads to soil compaction, which can lead to dead grass. Get your BBQ guests to park up the street. As a bonus, there's more room for that game of cricket.
During drought or times of excessive heat, it's wise to limit foot traffic on grass to avoid damaging turf crowns. If you don't already have one, it's time to think about building that patio or deck you've always wanted…

Don't let the weeds take over

Weed killing at the right time is key for getting existing weeds under control and preventing new ones. We go into detail about tackling weeds in our blog post: February Lawn Care Advice — Annual Lawn Care Calendar NZ.

Let Green Genie take care of your lawn

Let us do the hard work of making your grass greener and your neighbours green with envy… Talk to the experts at Green Genie for a tailored quote for lawn care services.