The beautiful days are coming and, with them, the temperatures rise again. If the long, hot, sunny days delight many, they can become worrying if you have a professional lawn or garden. Indeed, whether intended for sport or display, a lawn can suffer and deteriorate particularly and especially during warm periods.
Mowing the lawn in summer
The grass grows less quickly in the middle of summer. It is not necessary to mow as regularly as in other seasons. However, in order for your lawn to get through the hot season without problems, you should make your preparations in the spring, after the last days of winter.
Regular cutting actually helps to curb the growth of blades of grass in height. The lawn become denser and the grass roots tend to grow. The lawn is therefore better anchored in the soil (practical for all sports grounds) and, when the first hot days arrive, the network of roots with then find it much easier to draw on the available humidity.
Besides the springtime preparation it is also advisable to mow higher (2-3 centimetres), once the summer sets in, to keep the maximum humidity at ground level and avoid the grass turning yellow from lack of water. If the heatwave is prolonged you could even stop mowing, as the grass metabolism might suspend itself during periods of high temperature and your lawn will stop growing.
Finally, check the condition of your blades, whatever your mowing system. Blades not sharp enough might pull up the grass instead of slicing it, which also speeds up yellowing, especially in dry weather.
On these points Belrobotics robotic lawn mowers have many advantages. Automatic mowing allows you to cut often and frequently in the spring to ensure a dense and resistant grass cover without having to free up extra time (or take on staff, paid out of the budget). The height of mowing is also directly adjustable from the connected application and it may be pointed out that our blades have a cutting edge as sharp as a scalpel, which will greatly reduce the stress to the turf.
Watering the lawn in summer
When the drought continues and there’s no sign of rain it may be important to water your lawn, especially if used for sports. Remember, though, there are a few basic rules you should follow when watering.
First, watering too regularly is often useless if not actually harmful (this also depends on the type of lawn, certain types such as the English lawns need more water). In fact, faced with endless high temperature, the grass metabolism will slow down and it will not absorb as much water as during normal weather. Then there is the risk that the surplus will evaporate and, worse, if your lawn is under felt, the water cannot reach the roots and will settle in this layer of organic materials instead, with the risk of encouraging the development of disease and fungi in your lawn.
Also, don’t forget that watering in the middle of the day is counterproductive. The heat of the sun will evaporate the water in a few minutes, before it has the chance to be completely absorbed. Wait at least a couple of hours after the sun goes down, or even do the watering in the early morning. It’s also best to do a ‘big’ watering, so that the water can be absorbed by the soil. Then, once that soil stays wet, further watering is pointless.
Once again, robot lawn mowers are indirect accessories to correct maintenance. They prevent the formation of felt and therefore allow more efficient watering. Mulching also helps conservation of humidity and fertilization, which is all the better in summer!
If you find this solution interesting, don’t hesitate to find out more about the advantages of robot lawn mowers or discover which automatic mower is made for you. You can also contact us for more information.