5 Reasons To Change How You Water In August

August brings another month of hot and dry weather. Does this mean you should change how you water your lawn and gardens? Do you water more often? When should you water more often? How can you use water more efficiently in this heat? The lawn care and irrigation experts at Nutri-Lawn Burlington have some August water-saving tips for you.

Don't Water More Often

It seems logical when it's hot to water your lawn and gardens more often, but in fact it's better to water deep. Instead of increasing the frequency with which you water, water longer each time. You still only need to water once or twice a week, but deliver enough water to reach deep into the soil to the roots. This technique forces roots to grow deep and deep roots are better able to withstand heat and other extreme weather conditions.

Water More Often When:

Overseeding

In late August and early September is when you should consider overseeding your lawn. Choose a variety of seed that is resistant to drought, disease or fungus that might be plaguing your existing lawn. Grass seed needs to kept moist to sprout, and then needs additional water to get a good start, so keep that in mind when choosing when to overseed.

Aeration

Does your lawn have drainage issues? Does water pool on top of the soil when it rains? Core aeration is one treatment meant to combat soil compaction. This will soften the soil and allow it to absorb and retain water more efficiently and you'll use less water. Often, overseeding is combined with aeration or dethatching and so additional water will be needed until the grass gets rooted.

Fertilizer

Late summer and early fall are excellent times to fertilize your lawn for next year. Why wait until spring to fertilize your lawn when you can fertilize in the fall and have your lawn recover faster, thicker and greener for the spring? Fertigation (delivering liquid fertilizer via an irrigation system) is a great way to avoid burning plants in the summer heat. Be sure to apply enough water when fertilizing in hot weather.

Moving or Splitting Plants

Some homeowners like to wait until fall to purchase perennial plants or shrubs as they're typically cheaper in the nurseries at this time of year. Be sure to give those new plants additional water so they can send down some roots before the cold winter weather strikes.

When plants have finished flowering it's safe to move or split them. Take some time now to label the plants that will need this sort of attention so you're not guessing at colour or spread when the weather cools a bit and it's more comfortable to be out in the garden. Again, new plantings will need additional water to withstand our extreme winter weather.

Mow High

Raise the deck on your lawn mower to its highest setting in the summer heat. Drought conditions stress grass and cutting the stems short handicaps the plant's ability to survive the hot weather. Instead, leave the grass blades to grow a little longer so the plant can store more energy and moisture. The longer grass will also shield the soil and retain more moisture that way too.

The sprinkler professionals at Nutri-Lawn Burlington Irrigation can help you take the guess work out of residential and commercial irrigation and offer the major brands with professional expertise. Contact us today for your complimentary quote.