If you’ve lived in Roanoke, Virginia, and the neighboring areas for any length of time, you’re surely familiar with our ever-fluctuating weather patterns. It seems you can never plan well enough for what the weather throws at you! However, among all the inconsistencies, there’s one thing you can count on, and that’s the intense heat setting in around July or August. And with that hike in temperature comes a real threat to your grass and landscape plants. So today, we offer some easy tips for keeping your lawn beautiful in Southwest Virginia’s summer heat.
When the Grass Isn’t Green On Either Side
When the heat gets turned up a few notches, it doesn’t take long for your grass to take notice and for its beauty to be affected rapidly. Don’t be alarmed, as browning is typically a result of the grass going dormant to protect itself, not the grass dying. But that doesn’t mean you should ignore its vitality and appearance. Keeping your lawn beautiful includes keeping your grass healthy and fed!
Southwest Virginia’s climate is best suited for cool-season grass types, such as tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass;however, both are susceptible to damage from prolonged periods of heat and drought. Fortunately, you can take some steps to keep your lawn thriving even at Summer’s peak!
Water It Well!
Keeping your lawn beautiful in Southwest Virginia’s Summer heat starts with giving it one of its most basic needs at the right time! Both tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass benefit from deep, yet infrequent watering, encouraging the root systems to grow deeper and become more resilient.
We recommend watering at a rate of 1 to 1.5 inches per week. The optimal time to water is early in the morning, around 5–9 AM, to minimize evaporation and fungal outbreaks. We’ve come up on customer lawns that were watered in the evening, but that generally led to the buildup of excess moisture and made the lawn more prone to diseases.
Mowing Makes the Cut
Proper mowing is crucial throughout Southwest Virginia’s heat waves. We aim to put customers on a schedule allowing us to keep tall fescue at 3–4 inches and Kentucky bluegrass at 2.5–3 inches. Taller grass blades better shade the soil, retain moisture, and develop deeper roots, making it more able to stand up to the heat. Always cut no more than ⅓ of the blade at once to prevent undue stress.
Slow-Release Fertilization
Using an organic fertilizer like Milorganite is another way of keeping your lawn beautiful, regardless of the time of year!Unlike synthetic fertilizers that can burn your lawn up in high temperatures or if overused, organic fertilizers release nutrients slowly, providing steady feeding without shocking the soil. Fertilize lightly in the summer and again as temperatures begin to cool in late August or September to help the lawn recover from our long periods of heat.
Managing Heat Stress
If temperatures exceed 85°F for extended periods, cool-season grasses begin to struggle. If your lawn is primarily comprised of bluegrass, consider overseeding with tall fescue to improve resilience, as fescue is the more heat-tolerant of the two. If the grass has gone dormant, avoid walking on it in its vulnerable state, so you’ll keep your lawn beautiful when it awakens from dormancy.
Weed and Pest Control
Southwest Virginia’s heat creates the ideal environment for weed growth and pest infestations. Stay ahead of weeds by mulching your landscape and sticking to best mowing practices (or hiring a landscaper) so the lawn discourages the spread of weed seeds. For grubworm control, we recommend applying beneficial nematodes or insecticides in mid-summer before larvae become active. Aeration and overseeding in early fall will make your lawn fuller and thicker, naturally reducing weed infiltration.
A Thriving Lawn Through Roanoke’s Summers
A little preparation goes a long way when protecting your lawn and landscape plants from Roanoke’s summer heat. By maintaining smart watering habits, adjusting mowing practices, and utilizing organic fertilizers, you can preserve your yard’s health and appearance through even the hottest months.
Then your lawn will withstand all the unpredictable Southwest Virginia weather patterns thrown at it!
