Lawn care in summer: the most common mistake

However, the heat we are currently facing in Lithuania is a real challenge to preserve the beauty of the lawn. How to properly care for the lawn during this period, how often and when to water it, what height to maintain when mowing – the essential advice from the agronomist, landscaping specialist Tautvydas Gurskas, says the report.

Rarely but abundantly watered. This is the most important in this period, when record heat is recorded in Lithuania. T. Gursk advises watering the lawn at least twice a week, and the most important thing is not to save water and water it abundantly, as the landscaping specialist says, so that it even collapses.

“Moisture should be felt from the root, not just from the surface, because generally, if only the surface is moistened, it only” irritates “the plant and makes it even more vulnerable,” says the landscaping specialist. He also advises to pay more attention to the lawns along the tracks and at a distance, and to pour these places even more abundantly, since the sun heats more there and the soil dries more.

As T. Gurskas points out, one of the most common mistakes is that the lawn is watered at the wrong time. “It is decided to water the lawn in the middle of the day during the heat, probably thinking that now it is the one that needs water the most. However, this time it is the most inappropriate: a drop that falls on a sheet forms a lens and burns that area In addition, it is bad due to the great difference between the temperatures of the air and the water: the leaf heats up in the sun, and when it is sprayed on it with cold water, the plant “stresses” and such watering only harms it “, he points out. landscaping. specialist.

He emphasizes that it is best to water your lawn early in the morning or late at night, and ideally even at night. If you have installed a sprinkler system, T. Gursk advises setting it up so that watering begins at two o’clock in the evening, when the air temperature is lowest and the wind is lowest. With a lawn and sprinkler system installed this year, a landscaping specialist advises to water it perhaps less abundantly, but more frequently, that is, even every night. By keeping the soil moist in this way, young grass germinates and grows well.

Cut higher. While perhaps a shorter lawn looks better for most, to keep it healthy during the heat, you need to keep it taller. According to the landscaping specialist, a taller lawn “lifts” the heat much better and reduces the risk of burns. If the lawn is mowed with a robot, set it so that the sustained height of the lawn is about 3 to 3.5 cm; If it is a lawnmower, its recommended height should be at least 5 cm. True, T. Gurskas adds that if you have a sprinkler system installed and you can water your lawn every night, you fertilize it regularly, then you can cut the grass underneath. “You just have to keep in mind that lower lawns in the summer season also need more attention and care,” says the landscaping specialist.

Fertilize regularly. To maintain a beautiful and healthy lawn, T. Gursk advises to fertilize it regularly, that is, once a month. It is advisable to choose a specific fertilizer for the summer season for lawns, enriched with abundant nitrogen. “Due to the nitrogen content in the fertilizer, the grass becomes more resistant to heat, as well as trampling, trampling, running, which is again relevant for this time of year, when we spend a lot of time outdoors, such time children or pets. run on it. Last but not least, nitrogen-enriched fertilizer promotes the formation and regeneration of new shoots. So if the lawn is slightly heat-damaged, you will reactivate it faster with the help of fertilizers, “says agronomist, landscape specialist T. Gurskas. Fertilization is recommended for about 2 kg per acre. The fertilizer should be spread very evenly and perpendicular to the plot. If it has occurred in such a way that it has spread a lot of fertilizer in one place, collect, vacuum or spread the fertilizer as widely as possible as soon as possible.

Planting specialist T. Gurskas advises touching the lawn liberally immediately after fertilization to start dissolving the fertilizer as soon as possible. If you don’t have an irrigation system, try fertilizing before the rain.