Lawn Care Projects for the Summer

Summer means blistering heat, high humidity, bug invasions, weed invasions and if rain is lacking - a brown lawn. Getting your yard ready for the stress of summer may seem overwhelming. Fortunately, we have the products you need to help keep your yard looking great.

Fight Back Against Weeds

Weeds like to move in when plants are stressed from drought and heat. Then they steal moisture and nutrients, which stresses your plants and lawn even more. Control the weeds in your garden by spraying a non-selective weed killer. Be careful not to spray the plants you like. Then, help keep weeds out by laying down a 3-inch layer of mulch, like Scotts® Nature Scapes® Color Enhanced Mulch. This will also help keep moisture in the soil. For weeds in the lawn, make sure you are mowing the lawn high, which helps crowd out weeds, and spot treat weeds in the lawn with a product labeled for lawn use.

Keep Your Plants Watered & Fed

Regular feeding and watering can help your plants thrive in hot summer weather. With flowering plants, be sure to deadhead the blooms when they start to wilt. This will keep the plant producing blooms much longer.

To help ensure your lawn gets just the right amount of water, install the Gro® 7 Zone Controller as a way to optimize your sprinkler system. It works with the Gro app to create a customized watering schedule based on your location, weather patterns, and what you're growing, and you can control it right from your smartphone. In other words, it takes the worry out of watering your entire yard.

Keep the Lawn Green

Help your lawn stand up to the heat by mowing at the right height and feeding it in the south, before the hot, dry summer months arrive. If you live in the north, use Scotts® Turf Builder® SummerGuard® Lawn Food with Insect Control which kills listed insects, like ants and ticks, while it nourishes your lawn to help strengthen it against summer heat and drought. In the south, use Scotts® Turf Builder® Summer Lawn Food which is powered by EveryDrop® technology to help drive water into hard, dry soil.

Remember, if you live in the north and choose to not water your lawn to keep it green throughout the summer, and your lawn goes dormant and turns brown, stop feeding until the temperatures cool and the rains return in late summer/early fall.