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When it comes to lawn care and gardening, creating a schedule that makes sense for your day-to-day is essential when planning for your week and months ahead. July and August, for instance, are times of vigorous growth and flowering, so it’s important to keep up your momentum! You have come so far, and you’ll be glad that you did when it comes to managing all that growth. Plus, it’s a beautiful time to enjoy your hard work with new flowering and opportunities for harvest! Sticking to a lawn care calendar can really help lessen any potential for burden.
When you began your garden a few months ago, you knew some general maintenance would be involved! However, many new gardeners underestimate just how much care is needed in order to enjoy their garden to its fullest potential.
Caring for your lawn and garden regularly can lighten that load and keep gardening fun!
With it being the hottest time of the year, there are definitely some challenges, but we will give you tips on how to best care for your lawn and garden in the intense heat of July and August.
Mowing the lawn is something that you should be doing regularly during the summer months, but there are proper ways and times to mow that will help your lawn look its best.
Adding mowing and even watering to your calendar once a week is ideal. With the constant barrage of UV shining down, you’ll notice faster growth. Keep it well managed with weekly mows to give a more uniform look, and, typically, greener grass too.
During July, however, temps usually hit their peak, and you might start to notice some brown patches in the yard. While some of this is expected, skip a week of mowing so you can give it a chance to grow. Keep up weekly watering of the lawn and you should see those brown patches turn around quickly without having to water more frequently or off of your schedule. Just be sure to stick to your calendar!
Don’t want to skip a week of mowing? That’s okay! Keep the weekly mowing schedule, but be sure to lift the mower blade up a notch. If you don’t cut too close to the earth, it should allow the same result by giving the lawn a chance to grow and maintaining the uniform cut you have come to enjoy as well.
The best time to mow your lawn is mid-morning. At that time, the sun has most likely evaporated any dew or moisture from the evening, and additionally, it won’t be quite so hot. Your work will feel less taxing before the intense heat kicks in.
If you are following your planned maintenance schedule, then you are probably still employing watering in your weekly routine. If not, July and August would be a great time to create a water schedule that keeps your plants alive and thriving!
Each plant has a different need. Do a little research on what works best for your individual plants, and be sure to jot those details on your calendar. Some plants need daily watering, while others need weekly or bi-weekly watering. Remember – watering is best in the morning as well. Watering in the morning will give you a chance to see if plants are receiving enough water throughout the day and weeks. If you aren’t sure, your plants will tell you! Pooling water at the base indicates watering is occurring too often and may need to be adjusted. Whereas dry soil at the base indicates that watering isn’t happening often enough and/or long enough!
Three points to remember for a beautiful lawn and garden:
A key gardening tip is to take care of the gardener! It is extremely important to take care of yourself while gardening in the summer heat. Stay hydrated, keep an eye on the heat index, and you’ll soon maximize the quality time spent with your lawn and garden.
Deadheading and weeding are just as important as mowing and watering! July and August not only bring lots of growth to your intentional planting, but they also bring a time of extreme growth for weeds. Yes, we said it, weeds!
Check flower beds weekly so you aren’t struggling to remove an overgrowth of these pesky plants from your rose bushes and tomato plants later in the summer. Keeping up on it will make the task easier in the long run, and additionally, it relieves your plants from struggle. Since weeds need sunlight and water too, with the proper maintenance, you won’t have your plants competing for these key nutrients!
Keep your plants free of dried blooms by removing these from the plant to promote new growth and give your yard a fresh look!
A well kept lawn and garden updates your curb appeal, which can increase property value. It is also a nice personal reward for all the planning and maintenance you have put into your yard (it’s okay, you can feel proud of all your hard work). With everything you’re doing and have done for your lawn, your lawn and garden will soon thank you! In August, tomatoes, beans, and peas will be ready to pick, making your farm-to-table dreams your new reality!
If this is your first garden, make note of what is and what is not working in your lawn and garden throughout the growing season and summer months. You can always tweak things next time, and, with more practice, you will start to see improvements throughout your gardening and lawn care career!