Summer heat and drought conditions challenge maintaining a healthy, green lawn, often causing turfgrass to brown or enter dormancy. Successfully navigating the warmer months requires adjusting standard lawn care practices to reduce stress and maximize the grass’s natural defenses. Implementing specific strategies for watering, mowing, soil management, and recovery ensures the turf retains its color and resilience. These changes focus on encouraging deep root growth and reducing moisture loss, the most effective ways to combat intense heat.
Implementing a Deep Watering Schedule
The foundation of summer lawn health relies on deep and infrequent watering, which encourages a robust root system capable of accessing deeper soil moisture. Lawns generally require 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week, delivered over one or two sessions rather than daily, shallow sprinkles. Shallow watering leads to shallow roots, making the grass highly susceptible to rapid drying and heat damage.
The optimal time to apply water is in the early morning, ideally between 4 a.m. and 10 a.m., when temperatures are cool and wind speeds are low. Watering during this window minimizes evaporation loss and ensures the grass blades dry completely before nightfall, preventing fungal diseases. To confirm the correct application rate, homeowners can use a rain gauge or tuna cans to measure the water delivered during an irrigation cycle. The goal for each deep watering session is to penetrate the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches, which can be checked by probing the ground with a screwdriver after watering.
Adjusting Mowing Practices for Heat Stress
Adjusting the mowing routine improves a lawn’s ability to withstand high temperatures and conserve moisture. The most effective change is raising the mower deck to allow the grass blades to grow taller, typically aiming for 3 to 4 inches during peak summer. This greater height provides two benefits: the longer blades shade the soil, reducing ground temperature and slowing water evaporation.
Taller grass supports greater leaf surface area for photosynthesis, allowing the plant to produce more energy for root maintenance during stressful conditions. Adhere to the “one-third rule,” which dictates that no more than one-third of the total grass blade height should be removed in a single session. Using a sharp mower blade is necessary to ensure a clean cut rather than a ragged tear, as torn grass tips lose moisture more rapidly and are vulnerable to disease.
Summer Fertilization and Soil Preparation
Summer feeding requires shifting away from the high-nitrogen fertilizers commonly used in spring, as these products promote excessive shoot growth that demands significant water and energy. For summer applications, select a slow-release formula or a fertilizer with a higher proportion of potassium, represented by the third number in the NPK ratio. Potassium strengthens the grass plant’s cell walls, improving its resilience to heat, drought, and disease without forcing top growth.
If the lawn is already showing signs of heat stress, pause all fertilization until cooler temperatures return, as applying quick-release nitrogen can result in chemical burn. Soil structure is equally important; compacted soil restricts water penetration and root growth. Brief annual aeration efforts help break up dense soil, allowing water and air to reach the deeper root zone needed to support the turf through the summer.
Managing Dormancy and Recovery
Dormancy is a natural survival mechanism triggered by prolonged heat and drought, allowing the grass to sacrifice foliage to protect the crown and root system. A dormant lawn appears uniformly brown, but the plant is not dead; this is confirmed if the crown—the base of the grass plant—remains pale or white. During this state, subject the lawn to minimal foot traffic, as the brittle, dry blades are easily damaged, creating bare spots that invite weeds upon recovery.
Avoid applying fertilizer to a dormant lawn, as the plant is not actively growing and cannot process the nutrients, which may cause burning. Occasional “triage watering” is helpful, applying about 0.25 inches of water every three to four weeks to keep the living crowns hydrated. Once temperatures moderate and natural rainfall returns, the lawn can be gradually encouraged back to active growth with deeper watering sessions.