The sun can scorch your yard in the hot summer months. Learn the trick to improving the amount of water your yard can absorb so it will thrive through the intense summer heat. 

Water Your Grass in the Morning

Watering your lawn before 10 in the morning will allow your lawn to absorb optimal amounts of water and minimize evaporation. On average, your lawn needs around an inch of water to penetrate the soil deep enough to reach the root systems at about six inches below the surface. Each lawn differs in the depth of root systems and absorbency of the soil. A simple tip to check your lawn for hydration is the screwdriver test. Push a long head screwdriver that is at least six inches long into the ground. It should push easily into the soil. If it is difficult, then your soil may still be hard and dry. 

Why Watering at Night Is Not Great

If watering in the morning is not convenient for you, it may seem like watering at night may be the next best thing. However, watering at night leaves your lawn wet during the night, which leaves it susceptible to diseases. You’ll want to water your lawn early enough to ensure enough time to allow the water to absorb fully. Watering in the later afternoon will best achieve this. This is the second-best option after watering in the morning. 

Sprinklers and Irrigation Systems for Established Lawns

An in-ground irrigation system is the best way to ensure your lawn is regularly watered at ideal levels. If you are planning to stay in your home for a long time, an irrigation system is a worthwhile investment.

If you opt for a sprinkler system instead, you can do the math to distribute water for your lawn. It is best to use a pulsating sprinkler for even distribution. Oscillating sprinklers are susceptible to wind and uneven distribution of water, leaving water to evaporate quicker. Find a sprinkler that can hook up to your hose and spray at a horizontal angle to blanket your lawn instead of spraying straight up in the air. 

Regardless of the sprinkler you use, you’ll want to check the sprinkler’s flow rate. Usually, this is written on the box, but if you cannot find it, you can figure out the flow rate with a simple can test. Set a can out in your yard when your sprinkler is on, and then time how long it takes to fill the can to one inch. That is the flow rate. To determine how long you need to water your lawn, multiply the square footage of your yard by 0.62 gallons (the equivalent of one inch of water per square foot).

New Grass

New grass is more delicate and will need to be treated with softer water systems. Oscillating sprinklers are good for new grass because the water pressure is lighter and will not uproot newly rooted grass. New lawns need only to be kept moist, not completely soaked.

What Goes Into the Yearly Cost of Hiring Lawn Care Professionals?

There are many factors that determine how much it will cost per year to hire lawn care professionals, and one of these factors is the size of your lawn. As you might expect, it costs more to hire lawn care professionals to mow a larger lawn than it does to hire them to mow a smaller lawn. Another factor that affects how much it costs to hire lawn care professionals for a year of lawn service is the cost of gasoline in your local area. 

Extra services can cost more as well. These can include tasks like trimming the hedges, clearing debris, trimming, pruning, and clearing planting beds. Providing the lawn care worker with a tip also increases the yearly cost of hiring someone to mow the lawn. Additionally, if you need multiple lawn care workers to mow your lawn, then this will also increase the price. If you go with lawn care services like Tru-Green, this includes fertilization and the killing and prevention of pests and weeds. Each visit costs between $50 and $65. Ten applications are the norm for a year, so this comes out to $500-$650 per year. 

The location of your property can affect the price of hiring someone to cut your lawn for an entire year, too. Additionally, it is also likely that you will have to pay more to hire a more experienced landscaper to cut your lawn for an entire year. Whether you are getting lawn care service for your home or your business affects the cost as well. In general, however, the yearly cost for hiring someone to cut your lawn varies between $800 to $1,000.

How Much Does It Cost to Purchase a New Lawnmower?

The yearly cost of buying and maintaining a new lawn mower can vary greatly, and the first factor that goes into the lawnmower's cost is the price of the lawnmower itself. The price of a lawnmower can vary quite a bit, depending on which kind of new lawn mower you buy. If you get a simple push lawn mower, then you will usually pay between $100 and $800 for it. However, if you get a riding lawnmower, you will spend much more on it, typically $1,000 at the very least. 

As far as maintenance goes, it depends on the type of lawnmower. If you buy a gas-powered lawn mower, you will first have to clean the grass using a scraping tool, which costs between $10 and $20. You also have to sharpen the blade and you can do that with a file that costs between $5 and $10. Gas-powered lawn mowers also require engine maintenance. 

This includes replacing or cleaning the spark plugs, draining the fuel and oil at the end of every mowing season, cleaning or replacing the air filter, and any costs associated with getting a tune-up from a professional. Of course, you will have to buy gas for a gas-powered lawn mower as well. The cost of purchasing and maintaining a new lawn mower can vary, but in general, it is much cheaper than hiring someone to cut your lawn for you.