by Chad Diller, Tomlinson Bomberger

There is no doubt that summer has been here with a vengeance for the past month. Many homeowners are frustrated at this time of year to see their beautiful lawn declining. Figuring out what to do to change that situation is a hard task. With so many issues on lawns in summer, where would you even start?

Hindsight is 20/20: If you are a lawn enthusiast like us, you got extremely spoiled in 2009. Last year, we saw lawns lose a little bit of color in the month of June, but the ample rainfall kept things lush and green all the way through the hottest time of year. This is definitely not the case in 2010. Our area has seen regular temperatures for the last month in the 90’s, which is more typical of August weather, than June and early July. This heat coupled with a lack of regular rainfall has stressed out grass plants, and let to even more problems.

The Miracle Serum: The most crucial element any plant needs to survive is water. Without the right amount of it, it will stress the plant out and kill it. Most lawns are able to survive periods of 4-7 weeks of drought conditions, by going into dormancy. The blades of the grass lose moisture, and turn a straw-brown color. Energy in the grass plants is diverted to keeping the roots and crowns of the grass plants alive, so they can regenerate new blades when the environment permits. When cooler temperatures arrive later in the year, and rainfall is more abundant, most lawn areas will green back up, if only under typical drought conditions.

There’s a Fungus Among Us: There are dozens of turf fungi that cause damage to lawns in a year. Some are less of a concern than others, and some can cause permanent damage in a short period of time. During the summer, there are several fungi that can damage your lawn extensively. Summer Patch, Brown Patch, Leaf Spot, and Pythium Blight are just a few of those we typically see on lawns. The common catalyst for this is the proper environmental conditions. Night-time temperatures above 68 degrees and high humidity or rainfall at night will be very conducive to helping these grow on grass plants. Fungicides can be applied to lawns to lessen the effects. These applications can be more expensive than typical treatments, and only last for approximately 30 days, but may be what your lawn needs to survive.

Critters with an Appetite: There are a few insects that can extensively cause irreversible damage to your lawn in the summer. Chinch Bugs, Billbugs, Sod Webworms, and Grubs are the main destroyers in our areas. Preventative applications can be made to lawns to keep these invaders from damaging your lawn.

Stay off My Lawn! One of the worst things you can do for a stressed lawn is to mow it too short, too often, or when it’s too hot. This can make the lawn look even worse! The best thing to do would be only mow the lawn when you can’t tolerate it anymore, and mow it on your mower’s highest height setting. Try to stay off the lawn completely. Parties, playing hard on the lawn, and heavy foot traffic can damage the crowns of the grass plants making it even harder for the lawn to regenerate when conditions improve.

So what should you do? If you believe you have any of these issues, let a trained lawn care professional check them out for you. The diagnosis of these problems is very difficult, especially for homeowners. Some issues are easily addressed, and some issues are also beyond control. Either way, it’s important to understand these lawn stresses, and know what options are available.