If grass is greener on the other side, your neighbors know value of benign neglect

Spring thus far has been a roller coaster of highs and lows. Late spring freezes and record-tying highs, all within a matter of weeks. As summer approaches will this ride continue? Will it be hot and dry, or cool and wet? We never know until it happens.

No matter what the impending weather brings, these simple practices will help ensure our lawns have a better chance of surviving the ride and enduring the extremes.

Mow high and let it lie

The most important cultural practice in good lawn care is proper mowing height. Summer mowing heights should be high, 3 to 3½ inches for cool season lawns of bluegrass and tall fescue. However, Zoysia, a warm season turf, can be mowed lower.

Higher mowing heights provide several benefits. The longer green blades shade the soil, which keeps the lawn cooler and reduces evaporation. The additional growth provides more green surface area for manufacturing food.

With higher mowing heights the stresses of summer are reduced, as is the amount of water needed to keep the grass green longer. Checking your mowing height is easy. Mow a strip and use a ruler to measure the height of the blade. Don’t always rely on the mower settings as they are often not marked in inches. Use the mulch plug and setting on your mower and let the trimmings recycle back into the lawn. The clippings return nutrients to the soil bed and feed the lawn naturally.

Delay watering

The longer we can hold off on supplemental watering, the more drought tolerant your lawn will be. Normally, natural rainfall is sufficient to keep the lawn in good growing condition into late June or even early July. Allowing the lawn to stress causes the grass to develop stronger, deeper roots. Keeping the soil moist in the spring and early summer with frequent watering encourages shallow rooting. Shallow roots are more susceptible to heat stress.

Lawn irrigation systems can be serviced and made ready for summer, but until heat and drought set in turn off the timer. If it does become dry activate the timer and deeply soak the lawn with about an inch of water. Unless your lawn shows signs of stress and there is no rain in the forecast, keep the lawn water lean. Not only does it toughen up the lawn, but it also saves money and resources.

Go lean on the fertilizer

Summer is stressful and lawns can be heavier feeders. The turf is attempting to survive, not thrive, during the dog days of summer and additional fertilizers at this time are not necessary. Research has shown the use of summer fertilizers on bluegrass and tall fescue can increase the need for water and decrease heat tolerance by increasing the internal processes. This forces the lawn into additional growth when it wants to survive.

A leaner fed lawn stands up to summer stress. Delay fertilizing cool season lawns until the cooler days of fall arrive. An early September application is the most important and effective time to feed the lawn and will help to overcome summer damage and stress.

For now, buckle up and see how wild our summer roller coaster ride will be. It is always useful to prepare for the worst and hope for the best when it comes to summer lawn care.

Dennis Patton is a horticulture agent with Kansas State University Research and Extension. Have a question for him or other university extension experts? Email them to garden.help@jocogov.org.

This story was originally published June 10, 2022 at 5:00 AM.