Lawn care expert shares tips to keep lawns healthy in East Texas heat

NACOGDOCHES, Texas (KTRE) - Your family, your pets and even your lawn needs extra TLC in the summer heat.

Owner of Evergreen Lawn Care in Nacogdoches, Lee Hill, has been in the business for 26 years. Hill said hot, humid days and long periods without rain will cause stress to your lawn.

“Grass likes to grow during warm nights, but we’re also having hot and humid days, and now it’s kind of drying out even more. The moisture is going out of the soil, so we need some more rain, and people are having to irrigate, so we’re starting to see dry spots,” Hill said

Hill suggests watering grass in the mornings between 5 and 6, not during the hottest part of the day.

‘Do it for longer intervals a time; make sure that you’re getting good saturation, and space out the timing,” said Hill.

Hill said common problems in the summer include chinch bug infestation.

“If you see your grass is turning brown and you know that for sure it’s getting water, then it’s time to get an evaluation for chinch bugs.”

Hill said to also watch out for gray leaf spot disease. One can notice it on grass blades as they seem to “begin to start wilting and melting away.’

Three things to keep in mind if you want your lawn to look its best, Hill said, are to mow regularly, inspect lawn equipment, and keep soil fertilized.

“It’s much better for it. It conserves its water, it keeps a better color to it, and it stays healthier overall.”

He adds that cutting grass too short is a common mistake that actually causes damage to the lawn.

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