While summers in Northern Virginia can be hot and humid, thankfully there is an end in sight. As we enter into the back half of the summer months, now is a good time to assess your lawn. Acting now to fortify it can strengthen your lawn as the frosting of fall and winter approaches. Simple lawn care maintenance like pulling weeds and mowing your grass down to the ideal length can go a long way towards keeping your lawn healthy, full, and green.
Here are 5 late summer lawn care tips that can improve your Virginia Landscape.
Bye Bye Dandelion
You know, for all the children’s games that involve pulling up dandelions, you would think weed pulling would be more fun in the adult years. It’s not, but it is an essential aspect of lawn maintenance that can improve both the health of your grass and your curb appeal.
It’s best to pull any and all weeds as soon as you see them encroaching on your lush grass. While a weed here and there won’t cause serious damage to your yard, one can quickly turn to dozens and before you know it, your yard is overrun.
Keep Your Grass Short and Tight
Did you know that there is actually such a thing as “proper height” for your grass? Keeping your grass between 2 ½ and 3 inches high can let more sunlight soak into your soil surface. More sunlight enhances your seed and valuable moisture spreading which plays an important role in keeping your grass healthy and full.
Let Your Grass Breath
It’s best to aerate your lawn in the late summer to open up your soil for increased oxygen and moisture. This keeps your roots strong and healthy. If you want a healthy lawn, you need healthy roots.
Test and Fertilize Your Soil
You need to regularly test your soil for pH deficiency (your soil’s acidity level) or nutrients deficiency. A deficiency in either of these can cause your grass to wilt. Regularly testing your soil can bring these concerns to your attention while you still have time to remedy them.
An enhanced release fertilizer is your lawn’s best friend and keeps your grass lush and green without having to repeatedly apply fertilizer.
Do You Grasscycle?
Do you hate picking up grass clippings that your mower spits out as you cut down your grass to the proper height? Then grasscycling is for you. This is the process of letting your grass clippings fall back into your lawn so that your lawn will absorb the nutrients that are still in the freshly cut clippings. This is great for your lawn’s roots.
You can find “mulching mowers” at most lawn care or hardware stores. These mowers are made specifically for grasscycling. They chop your grass clippings into smaller pieces than regular mowers so that your grass clippings fall and nestle into the top of your turf. Nature takes over from there as microbes digest your clippings and release the nutrients inside them into your soil.
Need Some Help With Your Late Summer Lawn Care?
From seasonal color to turf maintenance, mowing, and edging – your oasis awaits at Wildwood landscaping. We are Northern Virginia’s premier landscaping partner and we look forward to serving you with all your lawn care and landscaping needs. Request your quick and easy quote today.
