AUGUSTA, Ga ()- With the rise in sweltering temperatures, it’s not only people and their pets feeling the brunt of the heat. Landscapes are suffering too, struggling to survive under the unyielding sun.
Intense heat poses a serious threat to your outdoor greenery, potentially damaging grass, young trees, and shrubs. Once the mercury soars to between 90 and 95 degrees, signs of distress in your lawn become evident. However, there are effective strategies to maintain your yard’s vibrancy despite the scorching climate.
“In the South, we contend with sweltering heat and high humidity. To maintain an attractive lawn, it’s essential to water it twice daily—focusing not on frequency but duration, ideally 15 to 30 minutes per session,” advised Gerald Coleman, owner of Grownfolk Landscaping LLC.
Regular watering is crucial to preserving your lawn’s lushness. Optimal times for watering are in the cooler morning and evening hours. The same schedule is advantageous for fertilizing, ensuring your lawn remains healthy and resilient.
“You don’t want to put the fertilizer out because if fertilizer already has nitrogen in it. So with the sun, it increases the nitrogen which will burn the grass up because we are in a drought season and we don’t have enough rain to supply that,” Coleman explained.
What should you do if your grass still starts turning brown?
“Put some white sand on it or some peat moss, and that would generally help you out,” he said.
Some grasses thrive in cooler weather, but there are a few species that do better in hotter temps.
“The best kind of grass if need to, if you can afford, it is Zoysia or Saint Augustine. Those are your less weed prone grasses. They do great. And a lot of time during our summer heats, centipede is another grass. Bermuda’s great but it also prone to getting weeds,” said Coleman.
Coleman said you should never just leave your grass clippings in the yard when you mow because it creates a thatch and doesn’t allow your grass to breathe.
How low you cut your grass during the summer is a factor in its health too.
“If you do cut the grass too low, you can damage the grass. The grass won’t have a chance to repair itself during these hot summer months.”
There are things you can do to protect your shrubbery and trees too. You should always know when and how to prune them because doing it incorrectly could cause damage.
If you want a lower maintenance yard that looks great, there are some trees and shrubs that do well in hotter temps.
“Palm trees. Sego palms are a great attribute to a landscaping design. They do good. Loropetalums also do good in the summertime,” Coleman suggested. “Roses does great in the summertime. Those are a lot of fan favorites where you don’t have to have a green thumb to make those bushes thrive.”
Coleman also said if you are having trouble maintaining your yard in the heat, sometimes it’s best to call in a reputable landscaper to help keep your plants and grass alive.