life should always be this simple

The summer is in full swing, which hopefully means you’re spending more and more warm, relaxing evenings and weekends enjoying the outdoors.

If you have a grass lawn of any size, you know that summer is about maintenance for lawns. While spring is about reviving your lawn from the cold, winter months, summer is all about helping your healthy, green lawn thrive.

Summer can be very tough on our lawns – it’s hot and in many areas of the country there are often droughts that can cause a lot of damage to both lawns and gardens. But no one wants brown grass in their lawn in the summer; this is the time when we all want lush, green lawns to play in, host BBQs in, and generally enjoy while we can.

Follow these expert summer lawn care tips and you’ll be the envy of the all the neighbors. With these tips, you’ll spend more time in your hammock relaxing instead of worrying about how to keep your grass green and alive.

1. Fertilize or feed your lawn: You don’t need to fertilize your lawn all the time, but the midsummer is a great time to do it. It’s best to fertilize the lawn after moving it, when the grass is dry. Be sure to spread the fertilizer out really well to ensure equal distribution and a nice, even green color.
2. Protect your lawn: Insects are out in full force during the summer months, so now is the time you really want to protect your lawn. Check out these tips from Scott’s expert Ashton Ritchie to find what products are right for your lawn – it will depend on whether or not your lawn needs feeding as well: http://tipsfromashton.wordpress.com/2014/06/03/june-lawn-checklist/
3. Water wisely: An actively growing lawn needs about 1 inch of water per week (sometimes up to 1.5 inches – this depends on your soil) to really thrive, so water wisely. It’s better to water a couple of times a week than to water very lightly every day. Water your lawn early in the morning (we mean early! Think 5 a.m.) to allow it time to dry during the day.
4. Mow like a pro: Raise your mower blade in the summer so the grass is a bit taller, and mow regularly – the goal should be to avoid cutting more than 1/3 of the grass blade at a time, so keep an eye on that lawn! Taller blades of grass will obtain more light during the summer, will grow deeper roots and become more drought-tolerant, and will help to prevent weed seeds from germinating. Check out 
5. The mower matters: To really take care of your lawn, you need a good lawn mower. I've done the guesswork for you with my best self propelled lawn mower guide for a comparison based on customer reviews across all stores, it includes a variety of mowers at budget-friendly prices.

What are you favorite summer lawn care tips? Let us know in the comments or on the Proven Helper Facebook page.