As we enter summer in Central Iowa, your cool-season lawn enters a critical time. Daytime temps regularly top 80-90°F while nights stay warm, meaning your grass will soon feel the heat.

Here’s what to watch for—and how to manage it.

1. Fungus Pressure 🍄

  • Hot, humid days followed by cool, wet evenings are prime conditions for fungal lawn diseases like brown patch.
  • Keep disease at bay by mowing at proper heights (3.5–4″), watering early so grass can dry during the daytime, and aerating to improve airflow. To find out more information on lawn aeration, you can visit our Lawn Lesson all about it here.
Left untreated fungus can sit on the lawn and cause lasting damage
  • In order to prevent fungus damaging your lawn, it’s best to put down a preventative fungicide treatment that will act as a deterrent. Something like this 👉🏼 Headway G would work great.

2. Heat Stress & Dormancy 🌞

  • During mid‑90s, your lawn may go dormant to conserve energy—turning brown yet not dying. If the rain comes to a stop in the Summer, be prepared to supplement with your own watering, or allow the lawn to go dormant.
  • Encourage resilience by maintaining a summer watering schedule (1–2″ per week, spread over 2–3 sessions) and avoiding overuse of high-nitrogen fertilizers .

3. Disease & Pest Interactions 🪲

  • Summer is a high pressure time for pests. During June and July, you need to apply a preventative grub control treatment. Grubs will actively feed on your lawn at the end of Summer, so this treatment will help prevent them from doing damage.
Grubs can cause a lot of damage to the root system of your lawn killing off the top growth
  • Keep an eye out and consider other preventative treatments if needed. Things like fleas, ticks and mosquitoes are all at an all time high during the Summer. Some of which may not do damage to your lawn, but will absolutely cause harm to your pets and family members.

💧 Summer Lawn Care Tip

Watering Like a Pro

  1. Schedule: Water deeply (about 1/3″) on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. Adjust if rain hits.
  2. Measure: Place two tuna cans under sprinklers—stop watering when they collect 1″.
  3. Avoid Evening Watering: Late watering keeps turf damp overnight, inviting fungus .
Timing is one of the most important aspects of watering your lawn

Smart Mowing

  • Height matters: Keep your lawn mowed to 3.5–4″ during summer—taller grass shades the soil and conserves moisture .
  • Time matters: Mow early morning or evening when temperatures are lower. Cutting midday may scorch your lawn.

🌿 Stay Connected

For more seasonal tips, follow us on:

✅ Final Takeaway

Summer is a season of challenges—but also opportunity. With proactive watering, proper mowing height, and attention to disease and pests, your lawn can thrive even when the mercury rises. Keep following our Lawn Lessons blog, and enjoy a full, lush, and healthy lawn all season long.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *