Summer Lawn Care for Cool Season Grass

Mowing

Cool season grasses should be mowed at a higher height during the summer and no shorter than three inches.  This helps the grass to decrease heat and fight drought.  The longer blades also help to shade the soil to preserve moisture and keep temperatures cooler.

Always keep your lawn mower blades sharp throughout the summer.  A dull blade can tear the grass tip which increases moisture loss and can result in browning.

• Watering

With cool season grasses you have the choice of maintaining the lawn so it stays green throughout the summer or leave it to become dormant.  To keep your lawn green all summer long, water deeply but infrequently.  This helps to develop deep root systems which creates better tolerance to harsh weather conditions.  If you decide to allow the lawn to turn brown and go dormant, a healthy lawn can survive for about four to six weeks without watering or rain.  Your lawn will then green-up again after adequate watering.

The best time to water your lawn is in the early morning , the light winds and cool temperatures help to prevent any water loss to evaporation or strong winds.

*Also keep your lawn looking lush and green during the summer with Perk Lawn Revitalizer!

• Grub Control

If you have noticed brown spots on your lawn an easy test to check for grubs is to see if those brown spots can be easily pulled away from the ground.  These grubs eat away at the roots of the grass killing the turf.  Luckily, Greenview offers grub control products to kill these root-eating critters.

Greenview Grub Preventer and Killer (Mach 2)

Grub Control (Dylox)

• Types of Cool Season Grass

Bentgrass

Kentucky Bluegrass

Fescue (Creeping Red Fescue, Chewings Fescue, Sheeps Fescue, Hard Fescue, and Tall Fescue* )

Ryegrass (Perennial and Annual)

• States with Cool Season Grasses

Delaware, Connecticut, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia.