Months of sun exposure, foot traffic and pest activity can take a toll on your lawn, and that’s why late summer lawn care in Calgary is so important. A little attention will go a long way towards keeping your grass looking green and healthy for the rest of the season, and it will also give you a leg up come next spring.
Late Summer Lawn Care in Calgary: Assess Your Grass
You should begin by doing an assessment of your lawn, looking for evidence of trouble in specific areas. Are there patches of grass that seem thin or pale compared to the rest of your lawn? When you compare areas that get a lot of shade to those that get a lot of sunshine, do you notice a difference? If so, these trouble spots are where you should begin.
Your first step should be to try to diagnose the nature of the problem. In many cases, yellow patches of grass result from insufficient moisture or nutrition. These areas of your lawn may not be receiving enough water, or moisture might be evaporating before it can be absorbed. A lack of nutrients or pH imbalances in the soil can also cause dry, yellowed patches.
Applying fertilizer to these areas can help, as can watering them when the sun is low in the sky and temperatures are cooler (usually mornings are best). Failing that, you may need to plant new grass seed or lay new sod. Choosing a type of grass that takes root quickly is essential for the late summer climate in Calgary; Kentucky bluegrass and fescue are both excellent species to consider.
If these steps fail to solve the problem, you can always count on the pros at Mirage Landscaping to accurately diagnose and correct the underlying issues that are affecting your lawn.
More Tips for Healthy Lawns
Some other common lawn issues that arise in late summer include:
- Pest activity. Seasonal pests can often be kept in check with routine lawn maintenance for the first couple months of the growing season, but by late summer, they often start to win if they’re present in large numbers. If you suspect you might have a pest problem and you want to tackle it on your own, take photos of the affected areas and talk to a professional at a local lawn and garden centre. He or she will likely be able to offer some insights into the types of pests that are most active in the Calgary area and suggest a solution.
- The cumulative effect of cutting your grass too short. When you’re mowing your lawn, it’s always a good idea to err on the side of caution when it comes to length. Many people want to cut their grass as short as possible, thinking this will enable them to mow it less frequently. However, cutting it too short can shred the blades, leaving the roots exposed to too much sunlight, which will turn it dull and brown.
- Accumulations of thatch. Does your lawn have a thin layer of thatch or “hay”? If so, give it a thorough raking. This will allow air and sunshine to penetrate the blades and roots again, revitalizing your lawn in time for the end of summer.
If you’ve noticed a few weeds here and there, make sure you remove them right down to their roots. Don’t just run your lawn mower over them; use your hands or a hoe to ensure the entire weed is uprooted.
Get a Jump on Fall
Late summer is the best time to plan ahead for your autumn lawn care needs. Professionals recommend that you perform the following lawn maintenance tasks in the fall:
- Spot planting of new seed in thin areas
- Aeration and fertilization
- Weed control
- Raking leaves
You should also plan to keep watering and mowing your lawn and trees as late into the fall season as possible, as this will help keep your grass strong during the long winter.
Late Summer Lawn Care Calgary: Trust the Hardworking Experts at Mirage Landscaping
Mirage Landscaping is a family-owned company that specializes in residential and commercial landscaping, property maintenance and outdoor construction services. For three generations, we’ve taken great pride in providing Calgarians with top-notch professionalism and affordable prices. Please visit our gallery to see samples of our past work, or contact us to get a custom project quote. You’ll be surprised how little quality work can cost!
