Summer’s here, and while we love the long sunny days, our lawns can start feeling the heat. Between dry spells, backyard hangouts, and kids (or pets) running wild, even the toughest grass gets tired.
I’ve learned the hard way that summer lawn care is less about making it perfect and more about helping it bounce back. It’s like giving your yard a little extra TLC when it needs it most.
With the right steps, you can keep your lawn looking great—and make sure it stays a cool, comfy spot for everything from barefoot mornings to evening BBQs.
1. Mow High During Heatwaves
Setting your mower to a higher cutting height gives your grass a fighting chance against summer stress. Taller grass develops deeper roots that can reach water stored further down in the soil. This simple adjustment makes a world of difference when temperatures climb above 85°F.
I learned this lesson the hard way after scalping my lawn one July. The grass turned brown within days while my neighbor’s taller turf stayed green through the same heatwave. The science is clear: taller grass shades the soil, reducing evaporation and keeping roots cooler.
For most cool-season grasses, aim for 3-4 inches during summer. Warm-season varieties like Bermuda can be kept shorter, but still benefit from a slight height increase compared to spring settings. Your mower’s highest setting might be perfect until temperatures cool down.
2. Water Deeply But Infrequently
Your lawn needs about 1-1.5 inches of water weekly during summer, but how you deliver that moisture matters tremendously. Quick, daily sprinkles actually train grass roots to stay near the surface, making your lawn more vulnerable to drought and heat stress.
A better approach is watering deeply just 2-3 times per week. This encourages roots to grow downward in search of moisture, creating a more resilient lawn. Early morning (between 4-10 AM) is ideal since less water evaporates and grass has time to dry before evening, reducing disease risk.
My own lawn transformed when I switched from daily shallow watering to this method. Use a tuna can as a simple measuring tool—when it’s filled to about an inch, you’ve watered enough for that session.
3. Keep Your Mower Blades Sharp
Dull mower blades tear grass instead of cleanly cutting it, leaving ragged edges that turn brown and create entry points for disease. The difference is visible immediately—lawns cut with sharp blades look cleaner and healthier even from a distance.
Summer heat already stresses grass, so adding the additional stress of jagged cuts can seriously compromise your lawn’s health. I sharpen my blades at least twice during summer and notice a dramatic difference in how my grass recovers between mowings.
You can either sharpen blades yourself with a metal file or bench grinder, or take them to a lawn equipment shop for professional sharpening. The service typically costs $5-15 per blade and makes mowing more efficient since sharp blades require less power to operate.
4. Apply Summer Fertilizer Strategically
Summer fertilizing requires a lighter touch than spring applications. Heat-stressed grass can easily burn if you apply high-nitrogen products during the hottest months. Instead, look for summer-specific formulations with higher potassium content to improve drought and heat tolerance.
The timing matters tremendously. Apply fertilizer after a rainfall or thorough watering when the soil is moist but not soggy. Early morning or evening applications reduce the risk of fertilizer burn. Always water lightly afterward to help nutrients reach the root zone.
Many lawn pros recommend using organic options like compost tea during summer. These provide gentle nutrition without the burn risk of synthetic fertilizers. I’ve had great results with a half-strength application of slow-release fertilizer in early summer, which feeds the lawn gradually through the hottest months.
5. Control Weeds Before They Spread
Summer weeds compete with your grass for water and nutrients—resources already in short supply during hot weather. Catching weeds early when they’re small saves you from bigger headaches later. A single crabgrass plant can produce thousands of seeds if left unchecked!
For isolated weeds, hand-pulling after rain when soil is soft works wonderfully. Make sure to get the entire root system. Spot-treating with herbicides works for larger patches, but avoid broad applications during high heat as they can stress your lawn.
My neighbor once ignored a few dandelions in June, and by August, his yard was completely overrun. I prefer using a pre-emergent in spring and then staying vigilant with targeted treatments during summer. Remember that a thick, healthy lawn naturally crowds out most weeds—good maintenance is your best defense.
6. Manage Foot Traffic Patterns
Summer brings outdoor activities that can trample your grass into submission. Creating designated pathways using stepping stones or mulch directs traffic away from vulnerable lawn areas. This simple solution prevents soil compaction that restricts root growth and water penetration.
Areas around grills, pools, and play equipment need special attention. Consider temporary walkways during summer parties or rotating play structures periodically to distribute wear. When I hosted a backyard graduation party, laying down a few flat stones created an instant path that saved my grass from becoming a barren dirt trail.
Aeration helps recover compacted areas, but prevention works better. Train family members to use established paths rather than cutting across the lawn repeatedly. Your grass will thank you by staying greener in high-traffic zones that typically turn brown and thin during summer months.
7. Monitor And Treat Insect Problems
Summer heat brings out lawn-damaging insects in full force. Chinch bugs, grubs, and armyworms can destroy sections of grass in just days if left unchecked. The key is early detection—watch for brown patches that don’t respond to watering or areas where grass can be easily pulled up like a loose carpet.
A simple test involves pouring soapy water (2 tablespoons dish soap in 2 gallons water) over suspicious areas. This irritates insects, bringing them to the surface where you can identify them. Last summer, this trick revealed a chinch bug infestation I might have mistaken for drought damage.
Treatment options range from beneficial nematodes and milky spore (organic options) to targeted insecticides. Always follow label directions carefully. Remember that healthy, properly watered grass naturally resists insect damage better than stressed lawns, making your regular maintenance routine your first line of defense.
8. Dethatch When Necessary
Thatch—that layer of dead grass between living blades and soil—becomes problematic when it exceeds ½ inch thick. It blocks water, fertilizer, and air from reaching roots, especially during hot summer months when grass needs these resources most. Checking your thatch layer takes seconds but can save your lawn from unnecessary stress.
You can dethatch small areas with a special rake, but larger lawns benefit from a power dethatcher. I rent one every other summer and am always shocked by how much material comes up. The lawn looks rough immediately after, but rebounds quickly with noticeably better health.
The best time for summer dethatching is during a cool spell, followed by light watering to help recovery. Some grass types produce thatch more quickly than others and may need more frequent attention. The improved water penetration alone makes this task worthwhile during drought-prone summer months.
9. Aerate Compacted Soil
Compacted soil prevents water, air, and nutrients from reaching grass roots—a particular problem during summer when resources are scarce. Core aeration solves this by removing small plugs of soil, creating channels for these essential elements to penetrate deeply.
You can spot compaction problems when water pools on the surface rather than soaking in, or when grass thins despite proper care. My lawn’s high-traffic areas used to turn brown every July until I started aerating annually. The difference was remarkable—those areas now stay green all summer.
While spring and fall are ideal for major aeration, light summer aeration helps troubled areas survive the heat. Manual aerators work for small spots, while machine aerators make quick work of larger lawns. The soil plugs can look messy temporarily but break down within days, returning nutrients to your lawn.
10. Address Shady Areas Differently
Shaded sections of your lawn face unique challenges during summer. While they may avoid heat stress, they often struggle with reduced light, competition from tree roots, and different moisture patterns. These areas typically need less water but more frequent mowing at slightly lower heights than sunny sections.
Consider overseeding shady spots with shade-tolerant grass varieties like fine fescues. I transformed a patchy area under my maple tree by switching to a shade mix and adjusting my care routine. The key was recognizing that this area needed different treatment, not more of the same.
Pruning lower tree branches to allow dappled sunlight can dramatically improve grass growth in shaded areas. Mulching around tree bases reduces competition between grass and tree roots. Some shade areas might be better converted to mulched beds with shade-loving plants rather than struggling with grass.
11. Clean And Maintain Irrigation Systems
Clogged sprinkler heads and leaking irrigation lines waste precious water and leave parts of your lawn parched during critical summer months. A quick monthly inspection catches these issues before they damage your grass. Look for uneven spray patterns or suspiciously dry patches despite regular watering.
Cleaning sprinkler heads is surprisingly simple—just unscrew them and rinse out debris that blocks proper flow. I discovered three partially clogged heads last summer that were creating brown spots I’d mistakenly blamed on grubs. After cleaning, those areas greened up within a week.
Smart controllers that adjust watering based on weather conditions can reduce water usage by 15-30% while improving lawn health. Even without smart technology, checking your timer settings monthly ensures you’re not overwatering during rainy periods or underwatering during heat waves.
12. Spot-Seed Bare Patches
Summer bare spots quickly become weed magnets if left untreated. While major reseeding should wait for fall, small areas can be repaired even during summer with the right approach. The key is consistent moisture until the new grass establishes—letting seedlings dry out even once can kill them.
Start by loosening the soil surface and removing any dead grass or debris. Apply a thin layer of topsoil mixed with compost, then sprinkle grass seed appropriate for your lawn type. I cover freshly seeded patches with a light layer of straw to retain moisture and protect from birds.
Water these areas gently twice daily until germination, then once daily for the first two weeks. For larger bare areas, consider sodding instead of seeding during summer—it establishes more quickly despite the heat.
13. Plan And Implement Proper Edging
Clean edges along driveways, sidewalks, and garden beds do more than improve your lawn’s appearance—they prevent grass from creeping where it shouldn’t and make maintenance easier. Summer is an excellent time to establish or refresh these boundaries while you can clearly see growth patterns.
Physical barriers like plastic or metal edging prevent underground rhizomes from spreading beyond lawn areas. For a more natural look, trench edging works wonderfully. I maintain mine with a half-moon edger every few weeks during summer, which takes just minutes but dramatically sharpens the lawn’s appearance.
The contrast between a well-edged lawn and one without defined boundaries is striking. Beyond aesthetics, proper edging reduces trimmer damage to trees and fences while preventing grass from invading garden beds.
14. Brown, Patchy Lawn Takes Over
Skip the essential summer lawn tasks and watch how quickly brown patches multiply across your yard. Heat stress combines with inadequate watering to create a perfect storm of lawn decline. What starts as a small discolored area can spread to encompass large sections within weeks.
The recovery process becomes increasingly difficult as summer progresses. By August, neglected lawns often show extensive damage that requires major renovation rather than simple maintenance. My cousin ignored his lawn for one vacation and returned to find nearly 40% had turned brown beyond quick recovery.
The patchwork appearance ruins the clean, green look most homeowners desire. Instead of a welcoming carpet of grass, you’ll face an unsightly mix of surviving grass islands surrounded by bare soil and dead turf. These areas become prime real estate for weeds to establish strongholds that persist for seasons to come.
15. Weeds Dominate Your Yard
Nature abhors a vacuum, and your lawn is no exception. When proper summer maintenance falls by the wayside, opportunistic weeds quickly fill any gaps in your turf. Crabgrass, dandelions, and clover spread aggressively during summer months, taking advantage of weakened grass.
The transformation can happen with surprising speed. A lawn that’s 90% grass in June can become 50% weeds by September without proper care. I’ve witnessed this in my neighborhood after a family moved away and left their yard untended.
Once weeds establish deep root systems, removal becomes significantly more difficult and time-consuming. The effort required to reclaim your lawn often exceeds the time that would have been spent on regular maintenance.
16. Soil Becomes Hard And Compacted
Without proper aeration and care, summer soil becomes increasingly compacted—especially in high-traffic areas. This compaction creates a concrete-like surface where water runs off instead of soaking in, and grass roots struggle to penetrate for growth and nutrient uptake.
The signs are easy to spot if you know what to look for: water pooling on the surface after rain, visibly harder soil, and thinning grass despite adequate watering. Last summer, I could actually hear the difference when walking across my neighbor’s neglected lawn versus my maintained one.
Reversing severe compaction requires mechanical intervention with core aerators, which becomes more difficult as soil hardens throughout summer. The compacted soil also creates a poor environment for beneficial soil organisms and earthworms that naturally aerate and improve your soil structure.
17. Lawn Disease Spreads Unchecked
Summer heat and humidity create perfect conditions for fungal diseases like brown patch, dollar spot, and rust to invade your lawn. Without proper mowing height, watering practices, and timely treatment, these diseases spread rapidly through grass weakened by seasonal stress.
The visible symptoms vary by disease—circular brown patches, straw-colored spots, or rusty-orange dust on grass blades—but the outcome is similar: declining turf health and appearance. My own lawn experienced a brown patch outbreak after I neglected proper watering timing.
Once established, lawn diseases require specific fungicides, adding significant expense to your lawn care budget. Prevention through proper maintenance is far more cost-effective than treatment. Even worse, disease-weakened grass becomes more susceptible to other problems like insect damage and weed invasion.
18. Long-Term Root Damage Occurs
Perhaps the most serious consequence of neglected summer lawn care is invisible to the casual observer: permanent damage to the grass root system. Healthy grass develops deep roots that help it survive drought and access nutrients, but stress can cause roots to shrink back dramatically when proper care is neglected.
A lawn that enters fall with a compromised root system will struggle to recover during cooler months and may enter the following spring at a significant disadvantage. Rebuilding a damaged root system requires consistent care over multiple growing seasons.
The lawn may appear to recover visually while still having shortened roots that make it vulnerable to future stresses. This hidden damage explains why lawns with years of proper care consistently outperform newly renovated lawns during challenging weather conditions.