KCTV 5Lawn and landscape tips during a heat wave

Lawn and landscape tips during a heat wave

Jason Opheim, senior residential landscape designer with Hermes Landscaping, explains these tips on how to care for your lawn and landscape during a heat wave:

For strong, healthy roots, water deep.

• Frequent, light watering causes shallow roots and weak grass.
• Less frequent, deep watering helps form strong root systems.
• This holds true for all your landscape plants, not just your grass.

Water early.

• The best time to water is early morning.
• Avoid watering mid-day. Any water that doesn't evaporate quickly can cause some plants to become scorched.
• Watering in the evening will leave foliage damp at night, when molds and fungi are most active.

Avoid fertilizing in summer.

• Fertilizing in summer will cause shallow root growth, making plants more susceptible to heat and drought.

Keep grass longer in the summer heat.

• Set your mower blade height to leave grass at 2 ½ to 3 inches.

Watering trees, shrubs, and flowering plants.

• The best rule of thumb is this: brown-edged leaves, the plant wants water. Yellowing leaves, the plant is getting too much water.

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