Keep your lawn from looking “RUFF”
The signs are all there — Christmas decorations are out at Target, parents are counting down the days until school starts again, you’ve accepted that you’re probably not going to be beach-body-ready until next June. The dog days of summer are upon us. And probably the last thing you want right now is a reminder that winter’s wicked chill is just around the corner.
Fortunately, there’s still tons of good weather ahead and lots of lawn care and gardening to keep you outside enjoying the remnants of the season, while actually accomplishing something. (Bonus—if you do one task a week, you can look busy for the next two months which gets you out of all kinds of other chores…like cleaning the garage or clipping the dog’s toenails. You’re welcome!)
Plant — This is the perfect time of year to plant trees and shrubs. You’ll be adding green to your yard, improving your landscape and helping the environment. Best of all, many nurseries are closing out inventory and offering big savings on trees and shrubs this time of year.
Fertilize — Give next year’s lawn a boost by giving your turf a little juice. You’ll love the way your lawn looks come springtime.
Seed — High traffic areas and spots where Spot has done his business call for new grass seed. Make sure you do this after aeration, but before fertilization.
Aerate — Core aeration helps deliver oxygen, water and fertilizer to your grass roots, making them strong and healthy for a lush lawn.
Mulch — Your mulch might be looking a little mangy and faded, so now is a good time to add a new layer around perennials, trees and shrubs. If you do this while moisture levels are high, your foliage will fare better through the warm days ahead.
Irrigate — It’s not too late to install an irrigation system. It will save water, money and time and best of all, it’ll be ready to go in the spring. (If you hurry, you can get $150 off irrigation installation from Rock Solid. Act fast…you’ve got just ten more days until the offer ends!)
Herbicide — If you apply an herbicide now, it will keep weeds from coming back in the spring.
Mow — Continue to mow as usual up until right before the season ends. Then drop mower blade to lowest setting for the last two cuttings of the season, so that more sunlight will reach the crown of the grass.
Most importantly, enjoy these last golden days of summer while you can. Before we know it, winter will be nipping at our heels and biting us in the…well, you get the picture.
