Keep those summer lawns healthy

    It’s that time of year when we start to mow our lawns. I find it to be great exercise rather than a chore to cross off the weekly list. There is nothing like the smell of a freshly mowed lawn. Here are some suggestions about how to keep the lawn healthy while enjoying a freshly mowed lawn.
    Healthy lawns have fewer disease, pest and insect problems. Healthy lawns are high maintenance. Like life, timing is everything with keeping the lawn healthy.
    One easy reminder before starting to mow is to be sure to only mow off one-third of the blade of grass each and every time you mow. Why? The grass becomes stressed. Removing more than a third of the blade each time encourages the grass roots to dry out and to have fewer cells to use for photosynthesis. Even though we fertilize the lawn, grass still transforms sunlight or radiant energy into sugars and starches for food.
    Keeping the mower at a consistent height can help you with the removal of one-third of the blade only, if you consistently mow at regular intervals. If you decide to skip mowing for a week, the grass keeps growing taller blades. Then you are long past removing a third of the blade. If this happens, you could always just cut some of the height off the blade. Then return in a couple of days with the mower at 3-3.5 inches and mow again. I am assuming you have not allowed your grass to grow several inches tall such as 8-9 inches or more. If the grass is about 4.5-5 inches, that is one thing. Any taller and it might as well be pasture.
    Why is the number 3-3.5 inches the proper height for grass in the summer? A 3-inch grass blade has the ability to shade the crown of each grass plant. This height will also allow the grass to hold more moisture. The greatest benefit on a very hot summer’s day is at three inches the grass can stay cooler. Benefiting from shade and coolness allows the soil moisture to go further. This is money in your pocket. Instead of watering frequently every day for 20 or 30 minutes, you can water maybe two or three times a week. In some cases, with clay soil, watering can be extended to maybe once or twice a week. Clay soils retain moisture longer, due to their structure.

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