We are deep in the height of summer here in the Pacific Northwest. This means we are experiencing a few days of high heat. A heat wave can be very impactful for your landscape, and it can cause plants to die seemingly within minutes of the sun popping up to say hello. It can feel challenging and sometimes hopeless for homeowners to keep their landscape looking beautiful when the sun is searing.
How Do You Keep Your Landscape Looking Great in High Heat?
Keep the lawn hydrated
One of the most important things when the sun is beating down is to keep your plants from getting thirsty. Lawns can quickly turn brown in the stress of a heat wave. Your lawn will survive and recover, but if you are trying to maintain that amazing-looking green color to keep your curb appeal at its best, there are some measures you can take.
The key to watering during high heat is to water deeply and infrequently. Watering deeply, but less frequently, will help the grass to keep the deep root growth that it needs to be healthy. Moist soil is the key to lawn health. Making sure to water at times when the temperatures are the lowest is the best strategy. Water in the morning and at night, as the sun begins to go down or is not yet fully up. This minimizes evaporation and gets the water into the land instead of the air.
Caring for trees
Trees are one of the most important elements of your landscape. If you purchased the trees for your landscape, you are well aware that they are an investment, and you want to do everything possible to keep them healthy. Make sure to apply deep watering of the entire root zone area until the top 6 to 9 inches of the soil around the tree is moist. Don’t worry about the soil drying out. You want to allow the soil to dry between waterings. You want to avoid light watering because it will promote shallow root systems, which will not produce a healthy tree that stands strong in your landscape. Additionally, mulching around the base of the tree will help the ground to maintain moisture and the tree to be able to drink in that water and stay healthy.
Preventing issues in flower beds
One of the most notable areas that are impacted in your landscape in high heat is the flowerbeds. A great way to keep flowers hydrated and thriving is to use soaker hoses or drip irrigation systems. These deliver water directly to the root systems of plants. Additionally, mulch is a great friend to help the land maintain moisture and keep those plants able to take in water throughout the day. If you have particularly vulnerable plants that do not love heat, try to protect them with temporary shade structures when there is a particularly harsh heat wave coming through.
Proper adjustment of watering and mowing
When the temperatures soar, you will need to adjust your landscape maintenance practices, especially when it comes to watering and mowing. As mentioned before, always water when the temperatures are not at the peak of high heat. Though instincts would say to combat searing heat with watering, the best time to water is when water will get into the soil more easily, and not instantly evaporate into the air. If you need to mow your lawn, raise the mower blade and mow less frequently. It is OK if the grass is a little bit longer during high heat because it will help to shade the soil and keep the ground as moist as possible, which will help the grass thrive.
Calling in professional help
If you are struggling to keep your landscape looking beautiful in the high heat of summer and have taken all the preventative measures, there may be an additional level of care needed. It is a good idea to call on professional services to help you address issues or give you reassurance that continued care practices. It will bring your landscape back around if you stay consistent with them.
If you need help with your landscape in Snohomish or King County, the team at First Fruits Landscaping is here to help. We love to create landscapes that customers love and have them wanting to be out in their yard more than inside their home. Contact us anytime to get started on designing an amazing landscape that can withstand the high heat of summer.