Caring for Your Zoysia During a Hot Summer

Summertime in Georgia can be brutal. Fortunately, between swimming pools and indoor air conditioning, we have ways to escape the days of blistering heat. Your grass is not so lucky. Can your grass survive the summer heat without turning brown or withering away? Absolutely – especially if you have a warm-season grass such as Zoysia.

While you can be proud of your Zoysia turf for its durability in the summer, don’t make the mistake of thinking you don’t have a role to play in its survival. There are some proper and persistent lawn care tips that can help your lawn thrive despite a scorcher summer day in the South:

• Pay Attention to Your Watering Schedule. In general, mornings are best. Also, try to give your summer turf about an inch a week of water.
• Toss Out Weeds. If your grass can’t escape the blistering sun, at least help it fight weeds. Getting rid of weeds and preventing new weed growth is essential to maintaining a healthy, green lawn. This should be a tailored approach depending on your grass type and weed problem.
• Change Your Mowing Approach. When temperatures are extra high, you’ll need to keep your grass high enough to protect the soil from too much sun exposure. This is typically about an inch higher than you would normally keep your lawn during other seasons. Follow the “1/3 rule” and never remove more than 1/3 of grass height at one time. This allows your lawn to thrive and avoid extra stress. Keep the blade as sharp as possible to avoid additional moisture loss in your grass during mowing.
• Reduce Foot Traffic. Last but not least, try to limit your kids, pets and other visitors from playing on your grass in the middle of a hot day. Extra foot traffic can bring stress to your grass or cause the blades to break when it is dry or brittle.

Ready to give your Zoysia or other warm-season grass the best chance of survival this summer? Call EarthCare Landscape Management to learn about our affordable lawn maintenance plans.