A beautiful lawn needs to be well maintained so that no yellow and brown spots form on the green carpet. We have summarized what to-dos are necessary and which mistakes should be avoided:
Mowing correctly
A lot of sun encourages the grass to grow. At the beginning of the warm season, it grows particularly quickly. By regularly trimming, the grass forms fresh side shoots and gains density and resilience in the green area. But beware: grass blades that are cut too short cause the soil to dry out faster and allow weeds to spread.
As a rule of thumb for the cutting height applies:
- Ornamental grass should be cut to 3-4 cm.
- Play and sports turf at 3-5 cm,
- Shadow lawn 5-7 cm,
- Herb lawns and flower meadows are taller and are only mowed rarely.
Mow young grass for the first time when it is 10 cm high.
The lawn mower should ideally be unpacked once a week and used to mow the entire green area. If the grass has grown a bit taller while on vacation, please only mow it gradually back to normal height. In summer, lawn care should primarily focus on protecting the grass from drying out or extreme heat. At very high temperatures, the blades can be allowed to grow a bit taller, as this reduces evaporation. This way, the grass maintains a better water balance and burns cannot occur at all.
Watering correctly
How often should the lawn be watered?
The basic rule is: water less frequently (1-2 times a week), but more deeply. This encourages root growth and forces the grass to root deeper. Daily watering can harm the grass.
- The best time for watering is the early morning hours. In direct sunlight, the lawn cannot absorb moisture well, and the water evaporates very quickly and cannot reach the roots. This can result in unsightly yellow spots.
But the ground is also cool in the evening, so more water can be absorbed and less evaporates. You also protect the greenery from burning because the sensitive stalks are not damaged by the magnifying glass effect of the water droplets and the moisture can be easily distributed in the soil overnight. - Grass should not be constantly wet, as it then becomes more susceptible to diseases.
The right amount of watering for lawns
The amount of water needed for the lawn varies throughout the year and depends on temperature, wind, natural precipitation, the location of the lawn area, and the growth phase of the grass. The loss of water from a surface to the atmosphere is called evapotranspiration. There are calculation models to estimate this, which approximately calculate the sum of soil evaporation and release by plants (transpiration). See the dedicated blog post at MIYO.
Approximate water demand over the seasonal course in Central Europe:
Spring: 15-30 mm per week (equivalent to 15-30 liters/m²)
Summer: 30-50 mm per week (equivalent to 30-60 liters/m²)
Autumn: 10-20 mm per week (equivalent to 10-20 liters/m²)
Winter: 0-5 mm per week
The current evapotranspiration values are continuously calculated by MIYO for the garden location and displayed in the MIYO app.
Due to the large fluctuations in water demand, a constant adjustment of the irrigation amount and monitoring of soil moisture is necessary for optimal irrigation. And that’s exactly what MIYO does. The sensors measure the soil moisture and MIYO automatically optimizes the water amount, taking into account measurement values, presets, demand, and weather forecasts. Additionally, the soil moisture is also monitored. Once the water has sufficiently seeped in, the irrigation turns off again. This is how easy optimal lawn care can be.
Fertilize correctly
Efficient lawn care in summer includes not only mowing and watering but also the right fertilization. In the hot season, the nutrients from spring fertilizer are usually depleted. The lawn should now be supported with a specially formulated slow-release lawn fertilizer for summer. This will also make it more resilient, and the fertilizer helps it regulate its water balance. For solid and acidic soils, lime and humic acids should additionally be spread.
Furthermore, quality is crucial! Unfortunately, cheap fertilizers only stimulate growth in the short term and provide the grass with too few nutrients in the long term. By the way, the ideal time to fertilize is a cloudy morning that still means rain is expected. If this is not possible, the evening should be chosen as the time and then watered thoroughly.
We hope you enjoy implementing our tips and suggestions!
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