Key Points
Maintaining a healthy lawn during summer heat requires avoiding common mistakes that can worsen stress on your grass.
Over-fertilizing, applying herbicides, or overseeding during extreme heat can harm your lawn and delay its recovery.
Mowing during peak sunlight, excessive foot traffic, and improper watering can weaken your lawn and invite disease.
Maintaining a lush green lawn during summer can be difficult, especially during a heat wave or periods of drought. These conditions can starve your lawn of moisture, burn the foliage, and generally leave your landscape looking brown, patchy, and dull. But there are things you may be doing that can exacerbate the effects of summer heat on your lawn, or at the very least not give it the boost it needs to thrive. Ahead, landscaping experts explain the lawn care mistakes to avoid during summer.
Meet Our Expert
Jason McCausland, technical coordinator at Weed Man
Brian Feldman, senior director of technical operations at TruGreen
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Related: These Are the Worst Times of Day to Mow Your Lawn, According to Experts
Apply Herbicides
While weeds can be unsightly among lush green grass, you may want to wait until after a heat wave to treat them. “During periods of extreme heat, lawns are often under considerable stress. Applying herbicides during a heatwave can increase that stress, potentially leading to turf injury or delayed recovery,” says Jason McCausland, technical coordinator at Weed Man. “Waiting until temperatures become more moderate allows the lawn to better tolerate the application and achieve more effective results.”
Overseed
While overseeding your lawn during a heat wave won’t necessarily cause it harm, it isn’t practical. “New cool-season grass seed requires consistent soil moisture and moderate temperatures to establish successfully,” says Brian Feldman, senior director of technical operations at TruGreen. “During peak summer heat waves, soil temperatures and stress levels make germination and establishment difficult. It is best to hold off on reseeding until later in the summer or early fall.”
Over-Fertilize
While fertilizing your lawn in summer can be highly beneficial, over-fertilizing during periods of extreme heat or drought can burn your grass. The rate and timing of application are highly dependent on your grass species. “Cool-season grasses, like Kentucky bluegrass, fescues, and perennial ryegrass, don’t require much fertilizer during the summer months, and putting too much down in a quickly available form can burn the lawn or promote disease,” says Feldman.
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For these grasses, it is best to apply light rates of slow-release fertilizer, which will meet the lawn’s nutritional needs. However, warm-season grasses, like Bermudagrass, St. Augustine grass, and Zoysia grass, require more fertilizer during the summer growth period. “Pay attention to the grass species you have in your lawn and select the best rate per label instructions for the time of year you are fertilizing,” Feldman adds.
Expose It to Too Much Foot Traffic
With more outdoor gatherings on the calendar, summer is when lawns experience the most foot traffic. But in the middle of a heat wave or drought, you may want to reschedule your next pool party or backyard barbecue. “During the hottest months, constant lawn activity creates additional stress,” says Feldman. “In fact, the combination of compaction from foot traffic alongside extreme heat can lead to thinning, bare patches, and turf damage. When grass is already struggling with elevated temperatures, adding physical strain from frequent use accelerates decline.” If possible, he says to limit yard activity during peak heat to protect your turf and preserve its ability to recover once conditions improve.
Mow During Peak Sun
Mowing during peak sunlight is never good for your grass, but it’s especially detrimental during a heat wave as it puts unnecessary stress on a lawn that is already suffering, explains McCausland. Instead, aim to mow your lawn during the mid-morning or late afternoon, after the dew has dried and the sun isn’t at its peak. Feldman also recommends mowing often enough that you never remove more than one-third of the grass blades at once, as doing so can shock and scalp grass, causing yellowing or additional damage. “Also, during the summer months, it is best to mow the lawn at the highest setting for the predominant grass species in your lawn,” he adds.
Water at the Wrong Time
The best time to water during a heat wave is in the morning between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. “Watering early in the morning is the most effective way to ensure the lawn absorbs the moisture it needs while minimizing waste and reducing disease risk,” says McCausland. Feldman also cautions against watering in the evening, as this keeps grass damp overnight, which can invite diseases into your lawn, such as brown patch, pythium, and dollar spot.
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