After settling into your new home or rental, the next step is decorating – and that includes landscaping! With summer quickly approaching in the Boise metro area, it is important to remember to care for your lawn. When temperatures begin to skyrocket, the summer sun can leave your lawn dry and full of brown spots. There are so many useful tips and DJW Property Management wants to help you to impress all of your neighbors with a fantastic curb appeal!
Fertilizing
You should be fertilizing your lawn twice a year. Once in the fall and the second time around late spring, early summer. Fertilizer will give your lawn the nutrients it needs to grow strong and prevent weeds. Once fertilization time rolls around, there are some things to consider before beginning the process. To get the best results, make sure to mow your lawn a day or two before you plan on fertilizing. This helps to ensure that the fertilizer will sink down to the soil and not sit on top and potentially burn the grass. After you mow, water the lawn thoroughly to saturate the soil.
When fertilization day comes, the time of day you apply is key. Later afternoon or early evening is ideal. Never do it in the middle of the day or the grass will burn. Lastly, make sure there is no rain in the forecast for two or three days after application; you don’t want the rain to wash away the fertilizer. How you apply the fertilizer is also crucial. There are two categories of spreaders: broadcast and drop. A broadcast spreader is great for most lawns because it has a shield feature that prevents the fertilizer from applying on non-lawn areas such as the side-walk, driveway, and other landscaping. A drop spreader is a wonderful option for small and/or narrow properties. Never spread fertilizer by hand! Spreading fertilizer by hand will spread unevenly, potentially harming your grass – so, always use a lawn spreader!
Water Consistently
Watering your lawn, especially in the summertime, is essential for a healthy, green lawn. The first step is figuring out what properties you have in your soil. To find this, check with your local nursery for watering tips in your area. It is recommended that most lawns need approximately 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week. Your lawn will need more water on hotter weeks. Water 2-3 times per week but never daily. If you water daily, your lawn will develop a shallow root system. If you have an automatic timer on your sprinklers, set a watering schedule for the same days/time every week. Watering in the morning (before 10am) is the best time to water your lawn. If you start watering your lawn in the afternoon, your grass won’t be completely dry before nighttime. The excess water left overnight will welcome diseases like Brown Patch and Fungal Growth, which can lead to patchy or dead grass. Keep an eye on automatic sprinklers to make sure there is complete coverage over your lawn.
Mowing
Mowing helps keep grass looking short and clean, bringing together the aesthetic of your home. Mowing promotes grass health and simultaneously prevents pests. Grass grows faster in summer than any other time of year, so now that summer is in full swing in the Treasure Valley, you’ll want to check on the height of your mower blades. They should be three inches high and as sharp as possible. Mowing too low can make the lawn susceptible to weeds such as crabgrass and foxtail. It is recommended during the summer to practice the one-third rule. In summer, you should leave your grass longer than you would as opposed to fall and spring because longer grass helps keep the moisture in and survive the drought-like temperatures. This goes back to the importance of consistently watering your lawn, and doing it at a time of day when the water will have plenty of time to soak in.
When decorating your new rental, do not overlook the grass in your yard! If not cared for properly this summer, the consequences could be irreversible. If you’re looking for a property management company to handle the landscaping of your rental home, do not hesitate to call DJW Property Management. Our professionals are ready to help you find your forever home!
