It's that time of year when the heat of summer hits your lawn. While you can go outside and slap on sunscreen, your lawn doesn't have many options to protect itself. Just like your tan or sunburn, the grass can also become discolored from too much sun exposure. Sunburned areas are likely to turn brown and the grass may even die. With the right techniques, you can shorten the recovery time of your green space and prevent weeds from colonizing the damaged areas. Learn more about how to save your burned lawn below!
Risk factors for burned lawn
Is your garden at risk of being burned by the sun? There are some factors that increase the likelihoodthat your gardensuffers from the effects of the sun.
- Grass exposed to full sun all day
If you don't have shade trees, even your sun-loving grass may suffer under the sun. You may even notice that the grass at the edge of your home looks healthier because it is protected at certain times of the day.
- You have a hill
A hill can increase your risk factor for several reasons. Water is an important factor in lawn health. Steep slopes do not always have the opportunity for water to seep into the ground before gravity causes it to reach the bottom of the hill. Additionally, south-facing slopes, for example, are exposed to more sunlight than other areas of your lawn.
- There are areas of densification
Compacted areas of your lawn are unable to provide adequate water to the grass roots. Compaction can occur if you lift a heavy objectleave it on your lawnor taking the same shortcut through your garden over and over again.
What to do if your lawn is burned?
Burnt grass can make your lawn look unsightly. Can it become green again? It can do this if only the tips of the grass are burned. It is also likely that the blade of grass extends to the original shoot or even todies to the rootsand new stalks are produced as replacements. Below are the steps you should follow to turn a burnt-looking lawn into a green, healthy lawn.
Eliminate the cause of your grass dying
Now is the time to determine the cause of your grass dying. If you don't eliminate the cause before planting new grass or encouraging it to fill in, you'll just end up with more dead green space.
Remove burnt lawn
First, you need to remove all dead grass. This can be as simple as mowing the lawn to remove burnt ends. But sometimes the damage is too great. In such cases, it is best to lay a new sod to get a new lawn.
Reseeding means removing the existing heat-burned grass and then adding a new layer of turf. Undoubtedly, this is a long and difficult project, but once done, it will be completely worth it. However, remember that the new sod needs special care to prevent it from burning again.
Repair burned lawn: Check nutrient levels
Now that you've removed all the dead grass and are sure the same problem won't happen again, it's time to check the nutrient levels of your lawn. These include nitrogen, calcium and magnesium. These three nutrients are key to restoring burnt grass and necessary for new growth.
Fertilize your green space
If you know what your lawn is lacking, now is the time to add some slow-release nutrients. Make sure you follow the manufacturer's instructions exactly.More fertilizerthan recommended is never better and can result in more burnt grass.
How to save burned lawn: proper watering
Yes, there is a right way to water your lawn. Long, less frequent watering is more effective than daily watering, which leaves droplets of water on the grass blades, which then reflect the sun and burn the lawn. Depending on the amount of rain, water your green area once or twice a week over a longer period of time to allow the water to seep into the soil down to the roots.
Sugar for your green space
The sugar can certainly help you with your next lawn care becausethe natural remedygives the ground a lot of strength. You should only apply around 500g of sugar per 30 square meters of your lawn. If you have already added sugar to the green area, it is recommended not to add any more fertilizers as the combination will prevent the grass from turning green.
Burnt lawn can recover: give it time
Time is the easiest remedy for sunburnt grass. Even if you don't like the look of it, your lawn will be healthy again in the near future (as long as you continue to care for it, of course). How long this takes depends on the nature of your soil, the type of grass, and the methods you choose. At a minimum, all of this will probably take at least 4 weeks.
