July and August are the peak months of the summer season, and with it comes the stresses that can affect your lawn. However, most can’t tell what it is that is exactly stressing out their lawn during these hot summer months. Mickey’s LawnScapes will share some of the common summer stress problems that affect lawns. Determining the proper cause of your lawn stress can help in using the proper treatment to combat your lawn’s stress.
What Does Drought Stress in Lawn Look Like?
Grass, along with any other plants, reacts to high heat and due to the lack of water will trigger drought stress. For some it may to due to under watering combined with the hot temperatures of the summer. Following are some of the common signs of drought stress in lawns:
1. A good way to check to see if your lawn is suffering from drought is to locate a brown part of the grass and pull on it. If the grass remains firmly anchored to the ground then this is a sign of drought.
2. To see if the lawn is suffering from a drought use a screwdriver and drive it through the grass in both brown and green areas of the lawn. Usually–if the soil is saturated or is holding moisture–the screwdriver will go through the lawn easily. On the other hand, dry soil is tough and solid and difficult to push a screwdriver through.
3. Another sign of drought are when footstep impressions are left on the grass as you walk on it. Another sign of drought is also when the grass is greener in shaded areas versus grass that is in the direct sunlight. Kentucky bluegrass often will go a grayish color during drought conditions.
Summer Lawn Pest Stress
Another summer stress that most may not consider is the summer lawn pest. During the heat of the summer there are many types of pests that are at their most active. There are different types of lawn pests that can cause lawns to have random patches of brown spots. Here are some of the ways or signs to determine if pests are affecting your lawn:
1. Go to a brown section of the grass that appears to be stressed, dried out, or dead. Pull on the grass if the grass rips freely away from the soil or the root appears to be gone then you most likely have a pest that is eating away at your lawn.
2. Another clue that you may have a pest chewing on your lawn is if sections of the grass look as if it has been mowed or cut down.
Other summer stresses can include disease, which is usually brought on by drought. Another common problem in our lawns during the hot summer season is poor fertilization or lack of nutrients in the soil.
Lawn Maintenance, Landscape Design & Construction & More in Amagansett, Aquebogue, Baiting Hollow, Calverton, Cutchogue, East Hampton, East Hampton North, Greenport, Jamesport, Laurel, Mattituck, Montauk, Nassau Point, Northville, Northwest Harbor, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Southold, Springs, Wading River, Westhampton Beach in East End of Long Island, New York
If your lawn is afflicted by pests, drought, diseases or lack of nutrition, you can contact Mickey’s LawnScapes. We can help fertilize your lawns, deal with a pest problem, and help revitalize your lawn after suffering through drought conditions. If your lawn is in stress this summer, contact Mickey’s LawnScapes today. We will help you determine your lawn’s needs and make your yard beautiful again.
