Summer heat doesn’t have to spell disaster for your lawn. With a little pampering, keeping your grass green and healthy is possible—even during the biggest Florida heat waves. From choosing the mowing heights and frequencies that work best for your lawn to incorporating irrigation, aeration, and other and other beneficial treatments, there’s a wide variety of ways you can give your grass some TLC.
Feeling lost on the road to achieving greener, lusher grass for your lawn? McCall Service’s lawn care experts have you covered. Discover our helpful summer lawn care tips below, or take advantage of our excellent lawn care services! We’re proud to keep lawns looking their best in Tampa, FL, and its surrounding communities.
Keep Your Lawn Hydrated
Properly watering your lawn is a crucial part of maintaining lush, green grass. Your lawn typically needs 1 – 1.5 inches of water a week to stay hydrated. When the temperatures rise reach the mid-70s and above, increase your water output to two inches, and no more; any more than this can cause damage to the grass.
Consistent watering is an essential lawn care function because it encourages root growth. Ensure maximum absorption by watering early in the morning or late in the evening when the chance for evaporation decreases.
If you use an irrigation system, it’s important to keep it well-maintained to lower your water bill and prevent uneven watering for your grass. Looking for an irrigation system repair expert? Talk to McCall Service’s team today. From tune-ups and replacing broken sprinkler heads to adjusting the spray of your system, we’ve got you covered.
Make the Cut
One of the best ways you can take care of your lawn this summer is to keep your grass longer. By leaving some extra length (preferably an additional 3.5 – 4 inches), you can promote much needed root growth. Taller grass actually helps beneficial microbes develop faster, and discourages weed growth. If noticeably longer grass torments your inner lawn perfectionist, you can go as short as 2 inches.
In addition to the height of your grass, your mowing frequency also matters during the summer. Resist the urge to mow your lawn once a week, and shift to bi-weekly schedule. Mowing your lawn every two weeks allows you to easily observe its overall health in between mows. Plus, mowing less frequently makes it easier for your grass to stay tall and healthy.
Prevent Erosion with Sod
A serious issue that many Florida homeowners struggle with is soil erosion. As a coastal state, Florida’s soil is mostly sand, which makes it susceptible to erosion by wind and rain. Additionally—as if causing bare patches and unhealthy grass in your lawn wasn’t enough—erosion can wash away nutrient-rich soil and pollute water resources.
Fortunately, the state of Florida has identified laying down sod as a viable solution for preventing erosion. Sod, also referred to as turfgrass, is healthy, mature grass that is placed in struggling lawns. When sod farmers harvest it, they include a thin layer of soil and intact roots, allowing the sod to adapt to its new environment as soon as it is laid down.
In addition to immediately giving your lawn a healthier appearance, sod also creates a barrier between the elements and the erosive, native soil.
Put Nutrients Back into Your Grass
If you want your lawn to be fuller and greener this summer, it’s critical to put much-needed nutrients back into your grass via fertilizer. Keep in mind, however, that it matters when you fertilize your lawn. In fact, the only time you should fertilize your lawn is when your grass is actively growing.
Since grass enters its growth stage in the spring, May through June is the perfect time to fertilize your lawn. While it may seem as simple as picking up a bag of fertilizer at your nearest home and garden center, there’s a method to fertilizing grass. From St. Augustine grass to Bermuda grass, every type of grass in Florida has different nutritional needs.
If you’re not sure where to begin when it comes to fertilizing your lawn, talk to McCall Service today. Our team of lawn care specialists can help your lawn succeed this summer with quality fertilization services and products.
Let Your Lawn Breathe
Believe it or not, your lawn may not be getting enough oxygen. In order to thrive, your grass needs to keep its roots properly oxygenated. Over time, as a result of weather, time, and being walked on, your soil can compact, becoming too dense for the air to properly pass through and reach the grass roots. This often leaves the under-oxygenated roots thin and weak, affecting the overall appearance of your lawn.
The solution? Aerating your lawn. Aerators come in a variety of types, from spiking and slicing to core and plug, but their results are all the same; they pierce through dense, compacted soil to give your roots the access they need to oxygen. Through aeration, you can help your grass roots become thick, healthy, and strong, improving the appearance and health of your grass.
While there are do-it-yourself aeration solutions, they can be expensive and difficult without the proper tools and training. If you’re interested in aerating your Florida lawn, you can depend on McCall Service. Give us a call today to receive your free aeration quote.
Watch out for Weeds
Gardeners aren’t the only outdoor enthusiasts who are constantly plagued by weeds. As soon as warm weather hits, crabgrass and other unpleasant, invasive plants seem to pop out of nowhere in Florida lawns. The problem with these tiny, green invaders? Once you’ve found them in your lawn, they’re there to stay until cooler temperatures return in the fall.
The only way to truly stomp out weeds and safeguard your lawn is to treat it with pre-emergent herbicides. Unlike traditional herbicides, which only treat weeds after they’ve grown, pre-emergent herbicides create a barrier on top of your soil that prevents crabgrass, dandelions, and other pesky plants from growing.
It’s important to keep in mind that pre-emergent herbicides need to be applied to weeds while they’re dormant, which is typically between the fall and late winter right before spring weather returns.
Bring in Professional Lawn Care Experts
From hectic work schedules to toting your kids to soccer games every weekend, it’s easy to put off important lawn care because you’re crunched for time, energy, and equipment. Hiring lawn care professionals can ease the stress on your busy to-do list and save your lawn this summer.
Not sure how to go about choosing a lawn care provider in Florida? Consider McCall Service. In addition to mowing, aeration, watering, and a variety of other common lawn care services, we offer the following annual treatments for your convenience:
- Pest control
- Weed control
- Turf disease protection
- Customized treatment plans
We can help protect your lawn from a number of threats, such as wildlife and other unwelcome pests, to help you focus on enjoying your summer.
Get McCall’s Lawn Care Help
Give your lawn the pampering it deserves this summer. By following our tips, you’ll enjoy the beauty of a flourishing lawn all summer long. Additionally, for homeowners who don’t have the greenest thumbs, there’s always convenient, professional lawn care solutions from McCall Service.
Whether you just need weed control or want to take advantage of our full range of lawn care services, we’ve got you covered. Take your first step toward a beautiful summer lawn in Tampa, FL; contact McCall Service today!