4 Lawn Treatment Needs for Late Summer in Wappingers Falls and Hopewell Junction, NY
As any lawn aficionado knows, lawn care is a year-round process of various techniques that take place in different seasons. The good news is that you don’t want to get caught in a cycle of neglect and repair for your lawn. Here are four lawn treatment needs for late summer in Wappingers Falls and Hopewell Junction, NY.
Mowing
The biggest and most laborious task of the growing season is mowing. It’s an important task that helps ensure the quality of growth of the grass. Mowing too short can damage the lower structure of the grass and cause the soil to become exposed to sunlight, which will cause damage from drought and heat. Letting the grass grow too high can create some severe problems including disease and rot due to a buildup of moisture which in the summer heat can cause disease and rot. Mowing at just the right height will encourage the grass to grow in a healthy way.
Mower blades need to be as sharp as possible to cleanly slice through the blade of grass and minimize damage. A dull blade will rip and tear at the grass, damaging the cell structure and preventing further growth. You can instantly spot a lawn that’s been hacked by dull blades: a lawn covered with telltale brown tips. A landscaping professional will be sure to keep the blades as sharp to make mowing not only fast and efficient, but safe for the turf grasses.
Lawn care professionals will also make sure that lawn clippings are either bagged and removed, or finely mulched to add nutrients back to the soil.
Proper Fertilization
Applying fertilizer to your lawn must be done with care. Although fertilizer is a material that is designed to encourage growth of a plant, it becomes toxic in too high of a concentration. There are a wide variety of different fertilizers for different seasons. Fertilizer is designed to be absorbed by the roots of the plant once it has been diluted with water during a normal watering cycle. Concentrated fertilizer will actually burn the blades of grass if not quickly washed off by watering. A lawn care professional will know exactly which fertilizer to use for your lawn’s needs (either to encourage deep and robust root systems, or to bolster growth in a newly restored section of lawn).
Aeration and Dethatching
In the summer heat, for parts of the grass to dry out. This part of the plant has died and should be removed as part of late summer maintenance so that it does not create a thick “thatch” that will prevent air, sunlight, and moisture from reaching the roots. Dethatching will remove excess undergrowth and allow for more breathing space near the surface of the soil.
Soil that is baked dry by the sun, and soil that has been trampled by foot traffic, will also prevent nutrients and water from reaching the roots of your lawn. Aeration is a necessary task that can quickly rejuvenate a struggling lawn.
Weed Control
Weeds don’t stop growing just because the early growing season is over - many will go to seed in late summer, so weed control is an essential task that may need to be repeated in late summer.
Enlisting the Help of the Pros
Lawn care can be a very time-consuming endeavor, and it’s one that does require some expertise. To prevent over- or under fertilization, keep weeds at bay, and generally maintain a lush and vibrant lawn, consider hiring professional lawn maintenance specialists.