You may start to notice occasional weeds in your yard as we move into the end of summer. It is a good idea to walk around your lawn and pull the weeds several times a week. You want to hand pull them, instead of simply mowing over them. This will ensure that you are removing them at the roots, rather than mowing over the heads of the weeds. This will result in your lawn looking fabulous, and also serve in getting your lawn ready for fall.Keep Watering!
As the heat from the sun continues to beat down on your lawn, now is the time to deep water your plants. The heat and sun can really affect your yard during late summer, and as a result, it is best to deep water your plants at least once a week. It is preferable to deep water all at once instead of doing shorter waterings more frequently. This gives your plants a stronger root system, and gets the plants ready for the start of fall.
Don’t Fertilize Yet
It is actually not a good idea to fertilize your plants in late summer. At this point, your plants could already be suffering from the effects of extreme heat. In some cases, your plants could also be dealing with drought, just depending on the weather conditions in which you live. Believe it or not, fertilizer will not solve the problems caused by heat or drought. And, in some cases, fertilizer can do more damage than good in late summer, as it can burn the roots of plants weakened by heat. Late summer is a time to deep water your plants, not fertilize. So, delay the fertilizing until fall.
Keep Mowing!
Set your mower to a high level to keep the grass from drying. Keep the blade height on the highest setting during late summer, but continue to mow frequently. If you have a lot of clippings from pruning your plants, let them remain on the lawn. The clippings act as mulch which will keep the roots of your lawn nice and hydrated.
Clean Your Patio and Deck
Late summer is the perfect time to clean your patio and deck. Spray your patio/deck with a garden hose. Then, use a backpack pump sprayer to mix a combination of wood cleaner and water. Use a one-to-one ratio of the cleaner and water. Spray the cleaner all over the deck, and wait 15 minutes. Use a brush with bristles to remove dirt. Then rinse the deck your garden hose again. If you are concerned about algae build-up, use a borate mixture with water to treat. In late summer is a good time to re varnish the patio to, if you think it could use it. Remember to do dryer vent cleaning every year to remove any bugs coming in from outside.
