With more rainfall on Friday, area lawns will continue their rapid rate of growth; and with sun in the forecast for Saturday, that likely means many area neighborhoods will be humming with the sound of lawn mowers. Though the weather will be well-suited for yard-work, area residents may want to pick the time of day carefully for the sake of their lawns. Sheryl Nunnikhoven with Dutch Meadows Garden Center in Pella advises against mowing during the afternoon hours on hot days.

“In extreme heat like the days we had last week, stay off your lawn. When you roll over it with those heavy tires, you actually break the insides of the grass blades and they’re not able to bring up water; so you’re going to do a lot of damage by mowing on days like that,” says Nunnikhoven. “Wait until the evening – if it’s cooled down any – or early in the morning is a good time to do it.”

Though the area recently received a hearty rainfall, Nunnikhoven adds that some lawns – particularly those featuring bluegrass – have been affected by the summer’s many rains and could still need some watering if the regular rains were to cease..

“The less that it needs water, the shorter the roots are going to get, so the roots will actually grow shorter in a season like this,” says Nunnikhoven. “They’re going to stress more quickly if we start to get a dry period, so you may have to watch. If it really turns hot and dry quickly, you are going to have to water [your lawn].”

Nunnikhoven says bluegrass leaves actually do turn a blueish color when the grass is under stress and should be watered in the morning or evening to help avoid further damage.

Tags: , , , ,