When the Heat is On, Keep Your Lawn Strong
Australian summers are filled with endless hours of fun, fun fun! From slip and slides on the lawn to entertaining friends with evening BBQs, our backyards are the star of the show!
Summer, however, can be challenging. Our lawns may face extreme heat, wind, and dryness. Your lawn will most likely be the first area of the garden to show signs of heat stress and drought, because it’s the most exposed to the sun and wind.
Usually the first sign of drought stress is the lawn will lose its vibrant green colour, fading to a grey-green and looking quite dull. It may also appear flat as the blades of grass wilt. This will be followed by the grass drying and changing from dull green to brown, when it may also feel crunchy when you walk on it. Are you thinking disaster right now?
Stop! This is not the time to panic or give up! At this stage, although the soil under the lawn will be hot and dry, the roots may still be still OK. A few small changes can have your lawn surviving the summer without suffering too much. If there’s only one thing you remember, remember its all about the roots!
-
Water the lawn more deeply but less frequently, preferably during the early morning so the maximum amount of water is absorbed into the soil before the temperature rises. Deep watering encourages the roots to grow down into the soil, where it’s cooler, whereas daily light sprinkles draw the roots closer to the surface.
-
Raise the cutting height of the mower to leave the grass a little longer and reduce stress on the lawn. A taller, thicker lawn will provide shade and natural cooling to the roots and soil. This will also help the soil stay moister for longer after watering. A mulching mower that leaves the cut grass on top of the lawn will also help insulate the soil and roots, reducing moisture loss through evaporation.
-
Slow release fertilisers not only feed your lawn but encourages the development of sturdy root systems better able to tolerate less favourable conditions. Feeding seasonally with Scotts Lawn Builder All Lawn Types or Scotts Lawn Builder Buffalo adds essential nutrients, encourages healthy growth, and promotes a lush, vibrant green lawn. There’s one more added benefit, some formulations, for example Scotts Lawn Builder All Lawn Types or Scotts Lawn Builder Buffalo can be left on the grass at certain temperatures, without risk. This means you can wait for the rain or water in at your normal watering cycle.
I hear you say, why bother trying to keep your lawn alive during a drought?
It’s a well-established fact that expanses of lawn and garden beds around buildings help reduce the ‘urban heat effect’, which results in built-up areas being much hotter than rural areas and parklands.
Natural plant cover (in this case grass) helps keep the soil cooler than hard surfaces and natural evaporation (transpiration) from the leaves may cool the air by as much as 5 to 10 degrees C. This in turn helps reduce energy usage and pollution.
On the economic side: You may have spent quite a lot of money establishing a decent lawn around your home to improve its appearance and provide outdoor space for the family to relax and play, so why waste it? It may be a little effort to keep it watered but in the long term, it will be money well spent.
And if these reasons haven’t sold you, that oasis of green around a home not only has a physical effect but also helps improve your mental and emotional wellbeing and the ambience of your environment. How does brown, baked earth and dead grass make you feel? Hot? Now imagine a green environment, even if its moderately green. It’s by far, a much happier place.
