Almost everyone with a lawn at their home has at one time
or another noticed damage to their grass that they can’t seem to prevent. This
is especially true in Arizona. Yellow patches and dry grass have become normal
during its hot, dry summer season. The solution(s) to these issues are not
exactly what one might expect.
A common practice during the summer is to heavily water
yards on a daily basis in order to prevent drying and death of grass.
Surprisingly, this is just the opposite of what should be done to avoid these
outcomes. Grass can become addicted to water. Rather than watering daily, a
better approach is to water less, both in terms of volume and frequency to
train grass to not be reliant on daily watering.
A second strategy to keep your lawn thriving during the
summer is to change usage habits. Allowing the kids or family pets to frolic
about in the yard is a true summer classic. Unfortunately, this is also allows
your lawn to face excessive strain and harmful destruction of roots.
Finally, adjusting maintenance strategies can be just what
the doctor ordered to keep your lawn healthy. Grass is the opposite of hair in
that shorter hair is healthier hair, while longer grass is healthier grass.
Moisture is stored in the blades and leaves of turf rather than the roots, so
mowing your lawn short gets rid of much of the water keeping it alive. On a
similar note, all other major lawn care and repair practices should be reserved
for the cooler seasons.
Another option for keeping grass green and strong during
the summer is to simply have your existing turf replaced with grass that
naturally needs less water. Re-sodding can be pricy, but the lightened
maintenance load can make it worth the investment.
One more option would be to take the artificial turf route,
which is becoming increasingly popular in the valley. Aside from keeping it
clean by removing leaves and other items, artificial turf requires no upkeep.
Similar to re-sodding, it can be expensive up front but no further costs should
be incurred during its useful life.
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