Florida summers can be brutal on your lawn with the high temperatures and sparing showers. It is easy for grass, flowers, and bushes to wilt if they are not properly cared for. Follow these tips in between your lawn care service to ensure that you have the best-looking yard in the neighborhood.

Watering

First and foremost, your lawn and plants will need water. Florida, especially around the Tampa Bay area, is known for its stifling heat and constant rains. It is also true that the rain can fall in quick showers or in only one area of town. If you are not lucky enough to have ample rainfall to sustain your lush green lawns, you are going to have to make sure to water your plants yourself. The easiest way to do this is with an automatic sprinkler system. If you do not have one, a good ole fashioned hose will do just fine. The best time to water your lawn is in the early morning hours before it gets too hot, twice a week for about 30 minutes each session. This will allow your lawn to absorb as much as the water as possible before the sun can evaporate it. Avoid watering your lawn at night, although temperatures are down, this can actually encourage fungus to grow.

Fertilizing

The grass is only greener on the other side because your neighbor fertilizes their yard. You can achieve the same lush green grass and fantastically blooming rose bushes by fertilizing. There is no set time to fertilize – you can do so during any point of the active growing season, just be sure that your lawn is already established. If you have just re-sodded your yard, wait until the new grass takes root. We recommend a fertilizer that will continuously release nutrients for a period of time (the most common being 60 days). Once you lay the fertilizer, water the treated area with ¼ inch of water to release the nutrients and make it easy for your lawn to absorb.

Mowing

The key to mowing your lawn properly to promote growth and well-being of your grass is in the height at which you cut your grass. The longer the blade, the deeper the root; and the deeper the root, the more draught-resistant your lawn is. Now, this doesn’t mean you want 6 inches of grass in your front yard. Two to three inches is an ideal height for your lawn; any shorter and you risk killing the grass. In addition to cutting at the right height, you want to be sure to mow on a regular basis and not cut more than a third of the blade at a time. Cutting too often can be detrimental to your lawn’s health. During spring and summer months, no more than once a week is ideal; whereas, fall and winter months need less frequent mowings.

Mowing can be a hassle when you already have to work 40 hours a week and no one likes to dip into their free time on the weekend to get the chores done. Lessen the workload on your shoulders and allow Braveheart Landscape Services take care of your lawn for you.