Caring for your lawn amid crazy weather

In the last few weeks we’ve experienced temperatures in the 40’s as well as the 80’s! I guess that’s typical spring weather in New England, but it never gets easy. It’s challenging to get comfortable or even know what to wear on a given day, and it can be challenging for our lawns as well.  Inconsistent weather has made it difficult for the ground and grass to slowly warm up and emerge.

In addition to the wild fluctuation in temperatures, we’ve also had a long period with no rain, followed by nearly three straight days of rain. Even with attentive care, some of lawns throughout the south shore are having a difficult time. If your turf isn’t quite where you want it to be at this time of year, don’t worry. Most of the lawns we have seen at Gardenin’ Angels are having difficulty adjusting after an extreme winter and an inconsistent spring, but they will thrive. Hopefully, more moderate and consistent weather is in store for New England and our lawns will flourish. Here are a few tips to help your grass get there:

1. As summer heat arrives, you may have to start watering your lawn every other day. You do NOT have to water your lawn daily, unless you’ve planted new grass that you’re trying to germinate or we are getting extremely hot temperatures AND no rain.
2. Sharpen your mower blades to minimize disease potential. You’ll also see fewer white tips on your grass.
3. Adjust your mower height to 2.5 - 3 inches through spring, then at 3 – 3.5 inches through summer.
4. Stay on top of weeds by hand-pulling them or spot-treating them with a selective broadleaf herbicide. Even if the sight of them doesn’t bother you, they are hogging the nutrients that are needed by your grass, so don’t ignore them. Also, flowering weeds like dandelions, will drop their seeds, resulting in more weeds. Get them out of your turf early and stay vigilant.

If you have questions or concerns about your lawn, give us a call at Gardenin’ Angels.