Grass can’t survive much longer than 4 days once it is underwater. Heavy rains can cause your grass to become waterlogged and flooded. It can also cause erosion of soil. You should take extra caution when taking care of your lawn after rain so you don’t damage it. What should you do to keep your lawn lush and verdant after these heavy summer rains? Check out these 8 tips to care for your lawn this summer.
1. Don’t Mow
Don’t mow a wet lawn. You should wait until your lawn has dried out completely before you cut it. Mowing a wet lawn can not only cause compaction but it can also develop ruts in the soft ground. You should also never use an electric mower on wet or even damp lawns. When your lawn does dry out enough to mow, make sure to use the highest cutting height on your mower blades.
2. Keep Off
Keep off the wet grass. You shouldn’t walk on wet grass if at all possible. This can cause your grass blades to become damaged. You should wait for the water to subside completely before walking. A good rule of thumb is that you should be able to walk on it without leaving wet footprints behind.
3. Take Notes
After a heavy rain you should inspect your lawn for areas where water tends to collect and stand. Once you have identified these areas, you can correct them by leveling out the ground or by improving the drainage to the area.
4. Aerate
Your lawn can benefit from aeration after it has been flooded. You can aerate it either manually with a garden fork or with a power aerator.
5. Clean Up The Silt
Silt can be left behind on your lawn after a flood. There is a chance that the silt that is left behind can be contaminated. You should always use caution when working in your yard after a flood by wearing rubber gloves and boots and covering any open wounds. Remove any silt and debris by either raking it up or washing it off with a hose. This allows the ground to breathe and to absorb more sunlight.
6. Remove Moss
Flooding after a heavy rain can cause moss and algae to grow on your lawn. You can rake away the moss and algae but you might need a professional treatment to make sure that it doesn’t grow back.
7. Watch Out For Fairy Rings
Another thing that pops up after a flood is mushrooms. Mushrooms are typically harmless and can be removed by mowing over them. What can be damaging is if the mushrooms are growing in a fairy ring. Fairy rings happen when mushrooms grow in a circle with dark, green grass in the center. The grass in the center of a fairy ring will usually die because it is competing with the mushrooms for water. If you have a fairy ring, remove the mushrooms immediately down to their roots.
8. Fertilize
Heavy rains can wash away vital nutrients that your lawn needs to thrive. You can replenish these nutrients by fertilizing your lawn. Continue to apply the fertilizer even after your lawn starts to recover so that it can rebuild healthy roots.