Now that we are fully into the early heat wave of June, it is time I remind you guys of the best watering habits for your lawn. Around the Midwest, temperatures have been hovering in the eighties, with a couple days last week jumping into the low nineties. That means your lawn’s root system is under stress and proper irrigation is more important than ever. Follow these tips starting now:

Water Deep

When you throw out your sprinkler, make sure to leave it out so that at least 1/2 ” of water is laid evenly across the ares being irrigated. The simplest way to measure water output is to lay out a tuna can, and when it is half full, you got your half inch.

Of course, as long as I have been doing lawns, I have yet to see a tuna can in someone’s front yard. That means that you guys just won’t do that so if you want to water deep without measuring, I would leave the sprinkler out in the zone for 45 minutes 2-3 times a week and you’ll be just fine!

Water Consistently

You do not want your lawn to go in and out of summer dormancy. This is very stressful to the turf and will thin out the root system over time. If you let the lawn go dormant, that is fine but don’t bring it out until fall. However, if you are going to water, make sure you follow a fairly regular schedule of every other day or every third day. This way the lawn will grow accustomed to the schedule and stay strong.

Water In The Morning

I prefer you get your watering done before 10AM when you do. We never want to water in the evening because after your finish and turn off the sprinkler for the night, the water sits there all night in the summer evening heat and fungus can form. If you water in the mornings, however, the grass drinks and the rest is evaporated away naturally.

If you follow these irrigation tips starting now, your lawn will be ready for July and August summer heat!

Sometimes, I have to just laugh at the strange things people tell me they do to their lawns. It’s like some of you guys think that it has to be strange and out of the ordinary in order to turn your lawn green. So, today, I am starting a simple lawn care series about lawn care myths. I hope to get some truth out there before your guys go and destroy your lawn, roots and soil.

Today’s myth centers around grub worms and beer.

Does Beer Kill Grub Worms?

I don’t know who started this little rumor, but it has spread far and wide. I get 2-3 inquiries per month regarding this lawn care myth. Truthfully, I have to think that enough beer would kill just about anything, including your liver, but grub worms?

Let’s think about this logically.

If beer was a good grub control, how much would it take to cover your grass and protect it? Remember, we want to prevent grub worms BEFORE they damage the grass, which means your lawn beer concoction would need to be long lasting and rain proof.

Even so, let’s assume you have a smaller lawn, just 3,000 square feet. If you want to put enough beer on this small space–enough that it would soak below the soil line to where the little grubs are located–you’d need at least 2 kegs of beer. What would that cost?

In addition, have you ever smelled beer that rots in the sun for a day or two? It’s not pleasant at all.

Long story short, beer is not and never has been a viable grub worm prevatitve or corrective. Save the beer for the fridge, and share it with your neighbors, not the grass.