Most of us native Idahoans can handle the cold. But when it comes to the heat, we are miserable! Guess what? Our lawns are feeling the same way. Here are a few tips to keep your lawn looking lush and green even during this hot weather.

Adjust your lawn mower blade higher. In the heat of the summer raise the mowing height on your lawn mower to 2 1/2 – 3″ to encourage deeper drought-resistant roots. The longer grass will also keep the ground cooler and require less water.

Water deeply. Shallow watering promotes shallow roots. During hot weather the grass may not be able to absorb enough moisture even when the soil is moist. Put down 1/2 inch to 1 inch of water each time you water. The easiest way to determine how much water you are putting down is to set out some tuna fish cans (or other straight-sided containers) and measure how much water you get over a specified period of time.

Water your lawn in the early morning while it is still cool. There will be less moisture loss to evaporation and less chance of disease. It is also less likely to be windy in the early morning, so the water goes on your lawn instead of the driveway.

Repair and adjust your sprinklers. Brown spots often occur during hot weather because your sprinklers do not cover your lawn evenly. Run each zone and make sure the spray patterns are reaching head-to-head and are adjusted to reach all areas of the lawn.

Keep the blades of your mower sharp. This will avoid brown tips on grass blades from the ripping and tearing of a dull blade. A sharp blade not only cuts blades clean which helps the grass recover quickly, it helps reduce your lawn mowing time.

Don’t spray weed killer in the heat. Lawn weed killers can volatilize, drift, and damage flowers and trees when applied in temperatures above 85 degrees. Now is NOT the time to spray for lawn weeds. Wait for cooler weather in the early fall.