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August Lawn Care: Our To-Do List That Will Help Keep Your Grass Green!

2019-08-09

August can be a blessing or a curse for your lawn and garden. It’s hot out. It’s feast or famine when it comes to rainfall. And the bugs are out in full force. But proper lawn care in August can help you ride into fall, winter, and next spring with a healthy lawn.

It’s make-it-or-break-it for your yard this time of year. You’re battling with

  • Intense heat and humidity
  • Unpredictable precipitation: seems like a drought or flood at the drop of a hat
  • Bugs, bugs, bugs. Flying, crawling, digging, biting.
  • Don’t forget about the weeds

Many homeowners feel intimidated and don’t know what to do to help keep their lawns healthy. While there’s no turning off the August sun, but there are some ways to bring the life back to your yard and prepare for the impending cooling weather and frost just around the corner.
 

What Can You Do to Preserve and Protect Your Lawn in August?

Pull out your gardening gloves, take a closer look at your lawnmower, and prep your fertilizer, it’s time to get to work.

We don’t mind if you borrow our Late Summer Checklist for a Healthy Lawn:
 

1.  Turn that Brown Upside Down

No need to cry over brown grass this time of year. Everyone gets the blues over brown grass in August. It’s normal. But you can help encourage greener blades by letting your grass get a little longer. This shades the grass blades and protects them from the sun while encouraging moisture retention.

Put your mower on the highest cutting setting and water your lawn three or four times per week (skip watering when it rains). Your garden may need daily watering.
 

2. Time to Fertilize or Let Your Clippings Do the Job

This time of year, you can use a nitrogen-based fertilizer to rejuvenate your lawn. This will also help keep your grass green. Just make sure it’s not going to rain later in the day. And avoid just-after-the-rain fertilizing.

If you want a more natural approach for healthy grass, pull the bag off your mower and let your grass clipping feed your soil. This is called “grasscycling,” and it can nourish your lawn without the added expense of store-bought fertilizer.


3.  It’s Time for Grass Seeds

Brown areas of your lawn can use a helping hand with some grass seed. Water these areas every day and watch them sprout. This is a wonderful time of year for your grass to establish a strong root structure before the frost.


4. Weed After the Rain

Remember that trick your grandma taught you? Pulling weeds in the morning or evening after the rain can make a difficult job less laborious. 

Do you have to weed your lawn and garden bed? If you want a healthy yard, yes. Weeds will suck the moisture away from your grass and flowers. They will also become more difficult to remove once they spread and establish root systems.

Don’t skip trimming or pulling weeds along your fence line and mailbox. This helps reduce bug habitat. Empty any standing water while you're at it.


5. Don't Hate, Aerate!

Our August weather is unpredictable. If water is stilling on your lawn or your grass seems compacted, it’s best to aerate your lawn. This will help prevent root rot and lets more oxygen reach the roots.

While you are at it, dethatch your lawn. If your roots get too thick and tangled, your grass will dehydrate. Late summer is the best time to get this done in our region.
 

Beat the Heat: Lawnsmith is Happy to Help You with Your Late Summer Lawn Care

Don’t have an aerator? What is a dethatcher? Don’t worry. We can give you a hand with your yard work. What you decide to do with your lawn now will carry you through fall and winter for a green and grassy spring. Contact usfor your late summer lawn needs.

Fall is just around the corner. Get a jump on leaf litter and autumn cleanup by raking any existing dead leaves. This will help reduce the fall workload and keep your yard looking clean and tidy.

Photo credit: Pixabay