Summertime in Pittsburgh presents both opportunities and challenges when it comes to caring for your lawn. Between the bright sun and the warm weather, the afternoon rain showers give your grass the energy and moisture it needs to thrive. In addition, the high temperatures and excessive exposure to sun and moisture can damage your grass and dry it out, causing heat stress, which can then result in other problems with your lawn.
Heat stress is defined as the damage that occurs when grass or plants are exposed to heat while not receiving enough moisture.
Some common signs of heat stress on your Pittsburgh Area Lawn:
Patches of Discoloration: The more heat stress your lawn is under, the more discolored areas will appear. Typically brown in color, the patches grow more numerous the further away from a water source.
Hard Soil: A simple way to test for heat stress is to try pushing a screwdriver into the soil under the discolored patches of grass, and then try pushing it in the soil under green areas of grass. If the screwdriver goes in easily in the green areas, but won’t push in to the brown areas, heat stress is likely the problem.
Wilted Grass Blades: Heat stress causes grass blades to wilt, but so do other factors. If wilting and discoloration occur together, it is highly likely that your lawn is suffering from drought stress.
When rain is scarce, heat stress is especially common in the Pittsburgh Area, so it’s important to protect your lawn.
Reduce the level of stress by:
Water deeply: Water your lawn less often, but at greater depth.
Use a sharp mower blade: A dull blade will tear the grass blades, leaving a lot of openings for moisture to leak. Using a sharp blade will make a clean cut, minimizing the amount of moisture that will be lost. A sharp blade also helps minimize the chance of fungal infections.
Aerate: Opening up the soil with core aeration will enable water to move through it more easily.
Following these guidelines when the temperatures are high and there is very little moisture will help prevent heat stress as well as help your lawn recover if it is in distress. As always you can contact your Pittsburgh area lawn care professionals with any questions you may have!