8 Tips to Care For Your Yard This Summer

Being a homeowner comes with a lot of responsibilities and upkeep that some people simply don’t take into account when buying a house. It can be overwhelming at times. We here at Metro-Flow Plumbing are here for you and we compiled a short list to help deal with an area of your property that sometimes goes overlooked: the yard.

​Before we begin talking about yards, we’d like to point out our Perma-Liner™ system, which will let you replace old water pipes running under your front and backyards without doing unnecessary or extensive digging. Digging will sometimes ruin your lawn. All that being said, let’s move on to our lawns and how to maintain them especially during the summertime when the unrelenting sun can cause serious damage to it if we’re not careful.
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1. Clean Your Yard. First and foremost clean your yard! This should be a biweekly task. You’ll have less to do if you clean regularly. Leafs from surrounding trees can be raked up and disposed off in your waste bins. Now that it's clean, let's give it some TLC!
2. Apply Organic Fertilizer and Weed Killers. Winter can be harsh on our lawns and many nutrients our yard needs are lost with the extreme temperatures. It’s always a good idea to apply fertilizer as directed. If you want to skip this step you can even hire professional help to pass by on a schedule and fertilize your lawn. Services like this also provide weed killing maintenance to keep your yard weed free throughout the summer and beyond. If you opt to do this yourself we encourage you to look for eco-friendly options. Some fertilizers and weed killers can be great for your yard, but terrible for the environment. Organic fertilizers and weed killers are the way to go - especially when you have kids or pets. We found this list that includes the best organic lawn fertilizers to help you find the right one for you: https://www.backyardboss.net/best-organic-lawn-fertilizer-reviews/
3. Let Your Grass Grow. Did you know leaving your grass a little longer during the hot summer months can help it retain moisture? Even allowing your lawn to get half an inch longer than usual can go a long way. While you're at it, make sure your mower is kept in proper shape. A dull blade can damage grass by not cutting, but ripping the blades off. 
4. Know When to Water Your Lawn. In the summer especially, we want to make sure our lawns get plenty of water. Water in the early morning before the sun comes up, so the lawn retains the moisture necessary to battle the summer heat. Watering in the middle of the day can heat up the water and evaporate it before it has had a chance to be absorbed by the grass. You can also wait till sunset to water your lawn. This will allow the water to penetrate and hydrate your lawn throughout the night.
5. Careful When Walking on Your Yard. If you’re like us you love to BBQ! Having a few friends over, opening a beer, and hanging out by the grill is an American pastime. If you don’t have a deck and are barbecuing out in your yard, foot traffic to and from your house can sometimes wear grass down and kill it. Consider putting stepping stones down, so your friends and family don’t damage your lawn. Stepping stones come in a variety of shapes, colors, and prices - and can add a nice touch to your yard.
6. Be Aware of Hungry Bugs. Treat for pests, but be wary of which bugs you have hanging around your yard. Not all bugs are bad bugs. We want to look for the ones that will specifically use your lawn as their dinner, as these bugs tend to lay eggs that become grubs. Grubs love to munch on grass! The usual bug offenders in the state of Texas are chinch bugs, army worms, and bermudagrass mites. Fortunately, most of these pests can be avoided altogether by frequent upkeep of your lawn, but if you need extra help to get rid of these pests, lawn services usually offer an option for that. 
7. Consider Aerating Your Lawn. Throughout the months soil can become compacted. This can prevent nutrients from reaching certain areas of your yard as easily as they once did. A professional can check your lawn and recommended where and how you should aerate it. Aerating your lawn can help by literally breaking up the compacted soil, which will allow for nutrients to reach precious areas of your yard.
8. Attention Dog Owners. This is only for the dog owners out there. It is very important to pick up after your dog when they go to the bathroom. The combination of a dog's stool and the summer sun can burn your grass. We also recommend to keep an eye out for their usual peeing spots around the yard and make sure there are no dead spots of grass forming. A good work around for pet owners is training your dog to pee in a specific spot.

We hope these tips help you keep your yard looking its best. Always remember that we are here to help you with your plumbing problems and are only a phone call away. Keep those yards looking great and healthy - and remember to fun this summer, you've earned it! From our family here at Metro-Flow to yours, until next time Dallas!

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