Make your yard ready for summer parties with these helpful Summertime Lawn Care Tips!
While I've been working on decorating the inside of our house, my husband is a pro at making the outside look fantastic. Summertime is when we spend most of our time outside, working to make our yards look their best. So, I've teamed up with my husband to bring you some handy tips and tricks to help you make your yard healthy and ready for summer parties. Plus, I'm excited to show you our newest Husqvarna Automower that is going to save us HOURS on our lawn care routine!!
Watering:
The summer heat can be brutal on grass, so watering is vital. Plants and grass can be resilient to the heat, but they need some extra attention to help them look their best. I was surprised to learn that it's really more about how you water and not as much about the frequency of watering that matters.
The summer heat can be brutal on grass, so watering is vital. Plants and grass can be resilient to the heat, but they need some extra attention to help them look their best. I was surprised to learn that it's really more about how you water and not as much about the frequency of watering that matters.
Instead of watering throughout the day, plan to water your yard early in the morning so that the water isn't evaporating in the afternoon sun and heat. Watering in the evening might also seem like a good idea, but it can actually make your grass too wet for too long, creating the perfect conditions for fungus. Depending on the type of soil that is in your yard, you only need to water between once a week to every three days so that the roots of the grass grow deeper for a more healthy lawn.
Most grasses need about an inch of water a week. You can find out just how long you need to water by placing a measuring cup into your watering zone and time how long it takes to get an inch of water. The easiest way to see if your soil is getting enough water is with the screwdriver test: after watering, stick a long screwdriver into the grass. If it doesn't go through easily, then you need more water.
Fertilizer:
There are different types of fertilizers, but I would recommend using a fast-release or weed and feed. You get quick results with fast-release, but you need to make sure you apply it in smaller amounts and more frequently. If you use too much, you can burn your lawn. Weed and feed is both a weed killer and a fertilizer. Check the product label to make sure your stubborn weed is listed, and take special care around trees, shrubs, and other garden plants.
Be sure to carefully read the label on any fertilizer you use to know whether you should water the lawn before or after applying the fertilizer. Granulated fertilizers need moisture to break down, and some fertilizers require you to soak the lawn before applying. Make sure to also keep kids and pets off the lawn for the amount of time recommended on the label, which is usually 24 to 48 hours.
Aerating your lawn is way to get nutrients deep into the soil in late spring/early summer to get a boost on a healthy lawn. Instead of doing that and potentially breaking sprinkler lines or underground wires, we just started using Humate instead. It's a product that helps the grass hold nitrogen and other nutrients in the root zone longer for a healthier lawn. It can also increase soil water holding capacity, which means using less water (yay!).
Mowing:
All of this watering and fertilizing is going to help your grass grow beautifully. One of the best tips is to keep grass length at 3-4 inches in summer months, which means setting your mower to the highest setting. If you've been on vacation and your grass has grown considerably, cut it in stages instead of hacking off half the length. That can shock your grass and turn it brown, which is something no one wants.
Make sure your mower blades are sharp. Dull or nicked blades will cut cut unevenly and can damage the grass. You should also leave clippings in the grass instead of the trash. Clippings can be a good source of nitrogen and will break down into the soil.
Have you ever wanted to avoid this dreaded summertime task and have more time to enjoy your summer? My husband was ecstatic to find the Husqvarna Automower that will do all of your mowing for you, all summer long!
Think of the Automower like the robotic vacuums in our homes. This innovative machine can do it all, even if you have a complex yard shape, steep slopes, narrow passages, and/or other obstacles that can be tough to mow around. The Automower will work around the clock to keep your yard looking amazing all summer long, even in bad weather!
Our local Husqvarna dealer walked us through the entire one-time installation process and answered our questions along the way. The Automower works with three main parts: the mower, the charging station, and the boundary wire. This Automower video is very helpful in understanding just how it all works.
One thing that I really love about the mower so far is just knowing how it's helping the environment. The mower works electronically, so there aren't any gas emissions polluting the air. It also cuts grass fractions of an inch at a time, so we can let the clippings fall into the grass like I mentioned above.
The boundary wire works like an electric fence. The mower senses the wire lines around your yard and will stay inside, so you don't have to worry about it running off through the neighborhood. It also has a collision sensor, so it will automatically change direction if it bumps into anything. When the battery in the mower starts to run low, the mower will automatically return back to the charging station on its own.
One of my biggest concerns was theft. What if someone was to pick it up and take it home for themselves? Once the Automower is installed, it knows where it's home is. If someone tries to pick it up, and alarm will immediately go off. The alarm can only be turned off by a pin number that only your family knows! The app will also alert you as soon as it's been taken, and you can track it via GPS to bring it back home.
Our front and back yard areas are separated by a fence, so we custom-built a plexiglass door that the Automower can push through to mow both areas without us humans interfering.
There are all kinds of ways you can customize the Automower to suit your needs. There is an app that allows you to set a working schedule for the mower to run, and you can adjust the blade height for how long/short you want your grass to be cut. The Automower is extremely quiet, so it can run day or night without disturbing anyone. You can even control it while you're away on vacation!
We just got the Automower installed this past weekend, so I'm looking forward to seeing how our yard looks in the next week or two! Be sure to follow along on my Instagram and Facebook accounts, where I'll be updating you with how our mower is working.
What are your best summer lawn care tips?
