Summer Newsletter 2024

Now Available Dog Tuff™ Bermuda Grass!

Are you in need of a low maintenance, low water dog resistant grass? Our Dog Tuff product is a new offering from The Sod Guy in response to requests for a low water, low maintenance grass that will contribute to the overall water conservation effort in Colorado. The grass comes in plug form and we are offering it for pickup and Installation. The grass is resistant to dog traffic and dog urine. It thrives in full sun areas and will need at least 6 hours of full sun a day. Once it is established you will only need to water it 2-3 times a month and it only grows 3-4 inches tall so it doesn’t need to be mowed if you don’t mind the length. Call us for a full quote and watch the video to see and hear about Dog Tuff.

Summer is here and it is getting hot!

Keep in mind that sprinkler timer settings don’t always work for the whole summer unless you have a smart timer that will adjust automatically to the temperatures. In hot weather you will need to adjust your timers to keep up with the heat. Keep a close eye on your lawn. It will start to change color when it is starting to get too hot. You’ll need to respond to this quickly to avoid sending your lawn into distress.

If you’re manually watering, your water schedule will need to change during the hottest part of the summer to keep your lawn healthy. During the July and August hot months the grass is at its most stressful time. Avoid applying any chemicals and focus on watering and mowing. If you keep your lawn normally mowed low, set your mower to the highest setting during these months to allow the grass blades to help in protecting itself from the extreme heat. When you mow in summer, the best time to mow is later in the evening so the grass has time to recover overnight before facing another hot, drying day.

Aerate in the fall when the temperature is cooler to help break up the soil and allow the oxygen and water to penetrate to the root zone promoting a healthier lawn. Do not aerate during the July – August time frame since the lawn is at its most stressful time. It will only stress the lawn more and cause problems.

Sprinkler System Heads

Keep an eye on your water coverage from your sprinkler system. If your lawn is showing stress and you have increased your water but the lawn still looks stressed, check the coverage. The coverage your heads were providing before may not be adequate in the high temperatures.

If you have an area that is showing stress that was doing well in the cooler months, run a simple water coverage test. Take two like containers that will be easy to measure water volume (Glasses, cups, bowls) and place one in the middle of the stressed area and the other in the middle of a good area. Run your zone and after, check the water level in both areas. If it’s lower in the stressed area, make any necessary adjustment to the heads to get better coverage. If the water level is the same evaluate the area to see if it is more exposed to the sun than other areas and increase the water accordingly. Most problems with stressed areas this time of year is do to water. If you are under water restrictions and the area needs more water, most cities allow hand watering as needed.