Tulsa Lawn Care Update July Tips

I hope everyone had a happy, safe and entertaining 4^th of July!  Too bad tomorrow is Monday – unless you’re on vacation! :O)

So it’s July and summer is in full swing!  The rain (flooding) has finally stopped, but not without leaving an indelible print on our lawns here in Tulsa.  Many have had standing water for so long that areas of grass look terrible (mine) and most of the traces of pre-emergent weed control are long gone, thanks to Mother Nature’s deluge!

But at least bermuda grass has a wonderful knack for bouncing back.  The fescue…not so much, since we’re into the hot weather and fescue is heat intolerant.

The grassy weeds are out in full force, especially nutsedge, which is a water grass.  You can read all about this difficult weed on our nutsedge info page.  But most likely, if your ditches have been full of water, there’s probably some nutsedge in there!

What can you do to make your lawn look better now?

Here are some tips:

Water your lawn.   It seems like we’ve had enough water to last all summer, but we have not.  High temperatures and windy days will dry out your lawn quickly.  I can see signs of heat stress in many lawns, and the fescue is hard hit.  See our page on proper watering procedures.  Fescue may need a daily sprinkle in the high heat, as well as the twice per week deep watering.  If you can't push a 6 inch screwdriver into your lawn, you need to water more deeply.

Mow frequently.  Our mowing page has lots of good tips, but the rule is to mow your lawn when it needs mowed.  You never want to mow off more than 1/3 of the leaf blade at once.  If you let it get too long and mow it down all at once, it will look brown.

Mow at the proper height.  Your fescue grass needs to be mowed higher than your bermuda grass.  Fescue struggles with the heat.  The longer the blades of grass, the better it will be able to take care of itself, and the more the roots will be shaded.

Understand that proper mowing is a HUGE part of weed control.  The weeds are going to be tough this year, and you may see weeds you’ve never seen in your lawn, thanks to flood waters carrying seeds around to everyone’s lawns.  But if you let your grass get really tall, our job of trying to eliminate your weeds will be nearly impossible.

Don’t forget the fertilizer!  Many people skip fertilizer applications because they believe they will have to mow more often.  While that may be partially true, you want to have a good looking lawn, right?  Fertilizer is the grass’s food.  A healthy, vigorously-growing lawn will not only look much better and greener, it will help choke out the weeds.

If you have any problems or questions about your lawn, please don’t hesitate to contact us!