UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Procrastination is usually a bad trait. But, when it comes to maintaining summer lawns, a little neglect can be a good thing, says a turfgrass specialist in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

"The spring recipe for lawn care is to fertilize, mow up to twice a week and treat for weeds, but you should back off on all those practices during the summer," says Peter Landschoot, associate professor of turfgrass science. "Grasses usually go into a semi-dormant state and are vulnerable to disturbance."

The tough season for grass in the Northeast is mid-June to the end of August, Landschoot explains. But lawns generally recover when cool temperatures and moisture return in September. "If your turf's in good shape going into the summer, you won't have to do much to keep it alive," he says. "It may not look great, but it usually will green up again."

Landschoot suggests some general lawn practices for summer:

Mowing

"Keep the mowing height a bit higher in the summer," he says. "A good summer mowing height for most lawns is 2 to 2.5 inches. Typically, you don't need to mow as often because the grass isn't growing as fast."

Mowing actually wounds the grass, because you're cutting leaf tissue from the plant, he explains. "Mowing doesn't damage the plant permanently, but when grass is stressed by heat and drought, it can lose moisture from the cut tips and must spend energy on healing.

"You also can damage stressed lawns with mower wheels," Landschoot says. "If you walk around neighborhoods during a drought, you often can see brown or tan stripes where wheels rolled across the grass." Activities also can hurt turf. "Go ahead and have a picnic or put up a tent for the kids, but your lawn may sustain some damage," Landschoot says. "When you put a lot of traffic on stressed grass, you may have to repair your lawn in the fall."

Weed control and fertilization

Landschoot recommends that homeowners not use weed control products during the summer. "They won't be as effective, and you might damage the grass," he says. "It's also not a good idea to fertilize your lawn in summer. The best time to fertilize in Pennsylvania is May, September and November."

In the summer, he explains, fertilization can make your grass too lush, which makes it more vulnerable to heat and drought. "Fertilization forces leaf growth and takes energy reserves away from the roots. During mid-summer, roots are under a lot of strain."

Irrigation

People often want to know if -- and how often -- they should water their lawns in the summer. "Watering is a personal preference," Landschoot says. "Most years, you don't need to water if your lawn's in decent shape going into the summer season. But in years with really hot, dry weather, you could lose some grass. If that's unacceptable, you may want to water your lawn - if state and local water restrictions are not in effect."

If you choose to irrigate, Landschoot recommends watering deeply and infrequently, early in the morning. "Moisten the ground to at least 4 inches -- as deep as the roots go," he says. "Mornings are the best time because conditions usually are still, and evaporation is minimal. Also, plants can use water more efficiently."

Be consistent throughout the summer, he adds. Keep in mind that watering programs can go awry during vacations or during drought restrictions.

Insects

"Treat insects on an as-needed basis," Landschoot says. "You don't want to treat for insects if you don't see a significant problem. If you need to treat for insects, make sure you know which insect you're dealing with and how to make the treatment -- or call a professional."

Grubs are common from late August to early October. "Grubs really can damage some lawns, but most lawns do not need annual treatments," Landschoot says. "They're easy to recognize. Because they eat roots, you can roll back small areas of turf like a rug on a wood floor. You'll also see turf wilting in small pockets, or skunks and other rodents digging for the grubs."

Diseases

"Diseases actually are easy to deal with, because there's not much you can do," Landschoot says. "Fungicides are available that prevent diseases, but they're hard to apply, require sophisticated equipment and last only one to two weeks. Also, by the time you see symptoms, it's usually too late to use fungicides. The general rule is: Let nature take its course and prevent diseases by good cultural practices. If you run into a problem, repair turf in late summer or fall."

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EDITORS: For more information, contact Gary Abdullah at 814-863-2708.

Contact:

Gary Abdullah gxa2@psu.edu 814-863-2708 814-863-9877 fax #193