New Mexico’s summers can reach extremes of 120 degrees. That can cause your lawn a lot of stress, regardless of whether you have warm-season or cool-season grass. But don’t worry, you can still keep your lawn lush and healthy, even when the sun is hotter than a chile pepper. In this article, we’ll teach you how to help a heat-stressed lawn in New Mexico’s scorching summer.
Read on to learn how to recognize the symptoms of heat stress, as well as properly irrigate, mow, and aerate your New Mexico lawn.
Signs of a Heat-Stressed Lawn in New Mexico
Heat stress occurs in your lawn during consistently hot and dry weather due to a decrease in moisture in the soil. In order to tell if your lawn is suffering, you need to recognize the signs and act accordingly.
Here are the most common heat-stressed lawn symptoms:
- Compact Soil: Without moisture, the ground can become so compact that water will not pass through it. You can test this by sticking a screwdriver into the ground. If it easily passes through the dirt, your soil is fine, but if there’s resistance, your soil needs water.
- Cracks and edges: The soil will start to recede when it gets too hot, leaving gaps between your lawn and your concrete foundation or sidewalk.
- Discoloration and brown patches: This is one of the most obvious symptoms. When suffering from heat stress, the tips of your green grass blades will turn bluish-gray to brown before going completely brown. This will develop into big brown patches across your lawn.
- Footprints: Grass in a healthy lawn will spring back up after it’s been stepped on, but heat-stressed grass will stay flat, leaving footprints imprinted across the lawn.
- Weeds: Once your grass becomes weak, troublesome weeds will take the opportunity to take over. If you start to notice an increased amount of weeds in your lawn, it could be a sign of heat stress.
- Wilted grass: Look for grass that is drooping or starting to curl.
How to Fix a Heat-Stressed Lawn in New Mexico
Now that you can recognize the signs of heat stress in your lawn, it’s time to fix it. Here are some of the things you can do to help your lawn recover from the scorching New Mexico heat.
Adjust Your Mowing Height
The height of your grass is key to healthy plant growth. By keeping your lawn longer during times of scorching heat, your grass will retain more plant tissue, keeping it cool. If your grass is too short, it will lower its energy production, keeping it weak.
The right height ensures stronger, healthier roots and, thus, better drought and heat resistance.
Mowing your grass blades at the highest recommended height for your grass type will help reduce water loss and keep the soil cool. Use the one-third rule, removing only a third of your grass’s height at a time.
Here are the best turfgrasses in New Mexico:
Season type | Recommended Mowing Height in Summer | |
Bermudagrass | Warm-season | 2.5 inches |
Blue Grama | Warm-Season | 3 inches |
Buffalograss | Warm-season | 3 – 4 inches |
St. Augustinegrass | Warm-season | 4 inches |
Zoysiagrass | Warm-season | 2.5 inches |
Perennial ryegrass | Cool-season | 3 inches |
Kentucky bluegrass | Cool-season | 3.5 inches |
Tall fescue | Cool-season | 4 inches |
Fine fescue | Cool-season | 4 inches |
Here are some additional mowing tips to keep in mind during your scorching New Mexico summer:
- Avoid cutting your grass during the day. The best time to mow your lawn is in the morning.
- Mow your grass after rainfall or irrigation, but don’t mow when it is wet; otherwise, it will clump.
- Keep your mower blades sharp to ensure a clean cut. Dull mower blades will tear the grass, leading to more damage and stress.
Aerate the Soil Before or After Summer
Aerating your soil will loosen it up so your grassroots can have access to water, air, and essential nutrients to establish a deep root system. These deep roots will allow grass to survive times of heat stress.
You should avoid aerating during the hottest period of summer. It can put a lot of stress on your grass, as the hot ground causes the moisture to evaporate before the grass has a chance to absorb it, leaving the roots exposed to the heat.
Instead, the best times to aerate your lawn are:
- Warm-season grass: Late spring or early summer
- Cool-season grass: Fall
That way, your lawn will have a much better chance of tolerating the heat during summer.
Control Lawn Pests and Diseases
Both insects and lawn diseases can wreak havoc on an already stressed lawn. Some of the most common insects that can damage your lawn in New Mexico are:
- White grubs (How to Kill Lawn Grubs)
- Chinch bugs
- Cutworms
- Armyworms
You can control and prevent these lawn pests with nematodes or chemical insecticides. Since most insecticides are broken down by sunlight and heat, applying them in the late evening or at night is better, especially since most insects are nocturnal and more active at night.
Also, keep in mind that beneficial nematodes will cease to be effective once the soil temperature reaches 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Nematodes should be applied in the morning or evening when soil temperatures are between 42 and 95 degrees F.
On top of creepy crawlies, there are also several fungi that can spread into your lawn during the summer. The most common lawn diseases in “O Fair New Mexico” are:
- Anthracnose (How To Get Rid of Anthracnose)
- Brown patch (Brown Patch: How to Identify, Control, and Prevent)
- Dollar spot (How to Get Rid of Dollar Spot)
- Powdery mildew (How to Treat Powdery Mildew)
- Rust (Leaf Rust in Grass: How to Identify, Control, and Prevent)
- Summer patch (Summer Patch: How to Identify, Control, and Prevent)
Fungicides, available in liquid or granular form, can treat these diseases. However, they should only be applied on mild days after the heat has subsided.
Fungicides are only effective as curative measures. The best way to prevent lawn diseases is to keep your grass healthy with proper care and maintenance.
Avoid Fertilizing
Fertilizing your lawn during the summer can do more harm than good. Most fertilizers are heat-sensitive and shouldn’t be used in temperatures over 85 degrees since they can cause fertilizer burns on the grass during periods of high heat.
Both warm-season and cool-season grass will go dormant during droughts. Applying fertilizer while your grass is dormant will only starve and weaken it. The best times to fertilize your lawn are during the spring and fall to prepare the grass for the extreme temperatures of summer and winter.
Minimize Foot Traffic
Constant foot traffic on your lawn will damage the grass, leading to a patchy lawn.
You can minimize foot traffic by staying on your porch, patio, or sidewalk, but you can also go the extra mile and put down stepping stones as a walkway to reroute foot traffic and avoid trampling your grass. If you want to go down this path, here are several other materials to consider:
- Mulch
- Gravel
- Bricks
- Wood planks
- Slate chips
Mulch
Spreading mulch on your lawn can help keep your grass cool during the intense summer heat by shading it from the sun and reducing evaporation.
You can mulch your grass clippings by leaving them behind after mowing instead of bagging them. This method, called “grasscycling,” is affordable and natural.
Water Your Grass Less
Excess moisture deprives the grass roots of oxygen and makes them vulnerable to lawn diseases. Less frequent watering can give the roots time to dry before the next watering session.
A deep, thorough watering once a week will ensure that the entire root system gets enough moisture while avoiding any possible damage.
Watering during a hot day will only cause the water to evaporate before it can reach the grassroots. The best time to water your lawn is in the early morning so the grass has time to dry, but steer clear of nighttime watering. Watering in the evenings or at night will leave standing water, encouraging mold and fungus.
FAQ About Summer Lawn Care in New Mexico
Will a Heat-Stressed Lawn Come Back?
Yes, with the right care, your lawn will recover after suffering from heat stress. However, if you notice some parts of your grass have remained brown and unhealthy, you care to repair them with new sod or by overseeding your lawn. Here are some of the best grass seeds for New Mexico.
Should You Plant Grass Seed During Extreme Heat?
No, extreme heat is too harsh an environment for grass seeds to grow and establish roots, especially cool-season grass. Grass seeds do need warmth to germinate, but the ideal temperature for overseeding is between 55 and 85 degrees F.
How Do I Create a Drought-Tolerant Lawn in New Mexico?
The best way to create a drought-tolerant lawn in New Mexico is to reduce the amount of turfgrass and replace it with native, drought-tolerant plants, ground cover, shrubs, and rocks. This water-wise landscaping method is known as xeriscaping.
For more information, here is a guide to xeriscaping for New Mexico homeowners.
Hire a Pro
Keeping your lawn healthy in The Land of Enchantment can be tough. If you could benefit from an expert, Lawnstarter will connect you with lawn care professionals in your area today.
Main Image Credit: Bratton House, Albuquerque NM / John Phelan / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0