How much water does a lawn need? When should it be fertilized? What’s the best height of cut for my grass?  What about weeds?  In this handy list below, we give you top tips for keeping your lawn looking its best, even through the heat (and possibly, drought) of summer!

  • Patch bare areas in the lawn with sod of the same grass variety. See our Watering Guidelines (click the Installation and Care tab on our home page) for tips on keeping new sod properly irrigated until it has a chance to establish roots into the soil.
  • Mow bermudagrass or zoysiagrass to a 1” to 1-1/2” height; mow centipedegrass to 1” tall; mow St. Augustinegrass to 2-1/2” tall; and mow tall fescue and/or bluegrass to 3” tall (3-1/2” starting in June through summer). For any type of lawn grass, do not remove more than 1/3 of the blades’ height at a time, as doing so can negatively impact root growth and drought tolerance.
  • Practice grass-cycling by leaving the grass clippings from mowing on lawn. Clippings decompose quickly and can provide up to 25% of the lawn’s fertilizer needs. If prolonged rain or other factors delay mowing, and clippings are then too plentiful to leave on the lawn, they can be collected and composted.
  • Every four to six weeks, now through September, apply 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn area for bermudagrass, or 1/2 lb. N/1,000 ft2 for zoysiagrass.
  • In June, fertilize St. Augustinegrass with 1/2 lb. of nitrogen/1,000 ft2.
  • In mid-June, fertilize centipedegrass with 1/2 lb. nitrogen/1,000 ft2.
  • Do not fertilize tall fescue or bluegrass again until fall.
  • Most lawn grasses need a weekly application of about 1” to 1-1/4” of water (either rain or irrigation) per week. On sandy soils, they require more frequent watering — for example, 1/2″ of water every third day.
  • Apply postemergence herbicides as needed to control weeds. Two or three applications, 7 to 10 days apart, are typically required for effective control. Apply herbicides only when weeds are present and actively growing, and the lawn is not suffering from drought stress. Read and follow all label directions carefully.