{"id":636,"date":"2019-06-25T15:07:28","date_gmt":"2019-06-25T15:07:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coastalgreen.net\/?p=334"},"modified":"2024-04-22T14:31:59","modified_gmt":"2024-04-22T19:31:59","slug":"make-sure-your-grass-is-up-for-whatever-the-summer-may-bring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coastalgreen.net\/2019\/06\/make-sure-your-grass-is-up-for-whatever-the-summer-may-bring\/","title":{"rendered":"Make Sure Your Grass Is up for Whatever the Summer May Bring"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Grass is tough and can handle a lot, but even the healthiest lawn will require some TLC to help it keep up with the high-traffic summer recreation season. Follow these three tips for improved summer durability to make sure your yard bounces back quickly from whatever you throw at it \u2014 whether your activity of choice is a rowdy game of flag football or a leisurely backyard dinner party.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><u>Don\u2019t stress; cut less<\/u>. As a rule of thumb, when you <a href=\"https:\/\/coastalgreen.net\/myths-vs-reality-how-to-get-your-lawn-in-top-shape-this-spring\/\">mow your lawn<\/a> you should never cut more than one-third of the grass blade height at a time. Scalping a lawn will cause stress, which can create problems all summer. To best protect your lawn before a high-traffic activity, mow at the tall end of the recommended range. For most grass species, this means increasing the mowing height to around 3 inches. Leaving a little extra length will also provide more cushioning for the soil and your guests\u2019 feet.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><u>Fertilize correctly<\/u>. When your lawn starts to brown in the summer, don\u2019t throw fertilizer on it. <a href=\"https:\/\/coastalgreen.net\/services\/\">Fertilizing<\/a> in the spring and summer favors shoot and leaf growth at the expense of root growth, which is key for creating a healthy, hardy lawn. Feed your lawn twice per year (plan for mid-May and mid-September), with the spring application featuring slow-release nitrogen fertilizer to minimize excess growth. Still feel the need to fertilize? Simply leave the clippings on your lawn after you mow. This not only saves time, but can provide up to 25% of the lawn\u2019s fertilizer needs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><u>Water properly<\/u>. Instead of watering a little every day, water more deeply twice a week \u2014 aiming for a total of about 1 inch of water per week, including rainfall \u2014 to help the water penetrate the root zone and then dry out a little in between waterings to keep good oxygen in the soil system. This will create a resilient, low-water lawn with a strong root system that will thrive and require less watering during the hottest months. If you\u2019re planning to host a large gathering on your lawn, avoid watering for two or three days beforehand, but then water immediately after. A drier lawn will help protect guests\u2019 shoes, better support furniture and other structures and minimize damage from heavy traffic \u2014 especially if you\u2019re playing yard games.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cA natural grass lawn creates the perfect setting for a whole host of outdoor activities for the entire family,\u201d said Bryan Ostlund, executive director of <a href=\"http:\/\/weseedamerica.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Grass Seed USA<\/a>, a coalition of American grass seed farmers and turf specialists. \u201cIf you\u2019re lucky enough to have a grass lawn, use it! Spending time outdoors is good for both mind and body.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So take advantage of your green oasis and gather on the lawn to eat or play together. If you\u2019re looking for games, children\u2019s classics like tag or flag football might be the first activities that spring to mind, but a quick search on Pinterest will show that the possibilities are truly endless. Bring out the bubbles, Frisbees, Hula-Hoops and kites. Pitch a tent, spread out a blanket or just lie on the grass.<\/p>\n<p>Whether you\u2019re playing, entertaining or relaxing, there are countless reasons to get out on your lawn, and a bit of maintenance will make sure your grass is up for whatever the summer may bring. With proper mowing, fertilization and irrigation, a healthy lawn can stand up to a surprising amount of traffic.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Grass is tough and can handle a lot, but even the healthiest lawn will require some TLC to help it keep up with the high-traffic summer recreation season. Follow these three tips for improved summer durability to make sure your yard bounces back quickly from whatever you throw at it \u2014 whether your activity of<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":740,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,90],"tags":[94,95,96,97,98,89],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/coastalgreen.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/636"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/coastalgreen.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/coastalgreen.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coastalgreen.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coastalgreen.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=636"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/coastalgreen.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/636\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":969,"href":"https:\/\/coastalgreen.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/636\/revisions\/969"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coastalgreen.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/740"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/coastalgreen.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=636"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coastalgreen.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=636"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coastalgreen.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=636"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}