Preventing Heat Stress in Your Lawn

Idaho is unique,

in more ways than one. We are considered part of the Pacific Northwest; however, we don’t share many of the qualities often associated with the region. Our winters are cold and often dry. Spring changes quickly to summer, and rainfall is drastically less than the rest of Pacific Northwest. In reality, we’re a northwest and southern climate blend. This creates some interesting challenges for our lawns to overcome.

Grass types

Grass can be separated into two main categories, warm season and cool season. Warm season grasses are primarily grown in southern climates where the winter temperatures usually don’t stay cold for long. These grasses go dormant when the temperatures go below ~ 45°F, so they will brown out in the winter months. Generally, there are fewer cold months in the south so the warm season grass is green for a larger portion of the year. Cold season grasses are just the opposite. They go dormant when the temperatures rise above ~ 90°F, and flourish in cooler temperatures. Because our hot temperatures only last a few months, we use these cool season grasses for our turf.

Our Dilemma

Herein lies our dilemma; cool season grasses stay green longer in our climate, but our summer temperatures get a lot hotter than cool season grasses prefer. So it is up to us to help reduce the stress on our lawns as much as possible. The Zamzows Lawn Program is specifically formulated to relieve​ this stress our lawns experience during the heat of summer. Early Spring feedings of Zamzows Lawn Food green up the grass, and build up a reserve of food. As temperatures rise, the lawn reacts by consuming less nitrogen and focuses on protecting itself from the incoming heat. With a smaller amount of Nitrogen, the grass will begin to lose color. Zamzows Huma Green is great for the soil and the lawn. As the temperatures rise, it will help the soil hold on to its moisture and provide the grass with vital trace elements, including Iron, needed to keep it healthy and green without causing excessive growth. Another great tip for conserving moisture and reducing stress in the lawn is to raise your mowing height to 4 or 5 inches. This will also assist in keeping the soil just a little cooler.

Prevention

Helping your lawn get through the stressful summer months year after year is vital to preventing other problems like bugs, fungus, and weeds from taking over. A stressed lawn will be more prone to these issues. Remember, a well-fed lawn not only looks great, it stays great!