Weather has a direct impact on how well your lawn will survive during its' seasonal cycles.
Along with climate were you live and the type of grass that makes up your lawn.
Weather affects all of us whether we want it to or not.
It dictates as humans what type of clothing we should wear to perform certain everyday tasks, how we drive our cars, be it during a snow storm or a tropical storm and in some extreme cases whether we live or die due to extreme heat or cold.
Global Warming affects your lawn as well, due to particular weather trends or patterns.
Most often the two main culprits in creating these dilemmas for your lawn are prolonged periods of drought, coupled with extreme heat.
Prolonged drought brought on by Global Warming will put your lawn under stress, especially those lawns that are exposed to the full strength of the sun for the majority of the day.
Your lawn needs a certain amount of water on a regular basis in order to survive and maintain its' health.
Most lawns need approximately 1" a week to maintain a healthy appearance.
By watering your lawn you are helping to ensure that it doesn't become vulnerable to weeds or heat stress which can cause your lawn to go dormant (turn light brown) during long dry periods.
Another measure you can take to help lessen the impact of Global Warming on your lawn is to raise the cutting height that you set your mower at.
By doing this you are giving the roots of the grass plants that make up your lawn more shade (thereby protecting the roots) and increasing their chance for survival during the warmer, drier months of summer.
In the spring people tend to mow their lawns at a lower height in order to decrease in the frequency of mowing that the lawn needs to keep its' neat appearance.
During normal springs a lawn tends to grow more quickly due to the ideal conditions that are present in the spring of the year, being warm (but not hot) temperatures and regular rains that meet a lawns healthy requirements.
The temperature and precipitation patterns by months are for the area in which I live (South central Ontario in Canada).
Please think about the following information in the terms of your spring months if you are in a different hemisphere.
Lately, in certain parts of the world (especially those in northern climates) spring conditions are not as normal as they once were.
Spring used to mean "April showers bring May flowers" with spring daytime temperatures beginning to slowly rise above the freezing mark, 32 degrees Fahrenheit or 0 Celsius during the latter days of March.
April would usher in two or more days of rain a week along with temperatures in the low 40's Fahrenheit (5-7 degrees Celsius).
As April progressed, average daytime temperatures reach the mid to upper 40's Fahrenheit (7-10 degrees Celsius) as well as continuing with normal rainfall of two times a week.
Finally by the end of April temperatures would be in the low 50's Fahrenheit (10-12 degrees Celsius) and rainfall still averages twice a week.
Once into early May temperatures regularly hit the low 60's Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius) with rainfall coming regularly once or twice a week the entire month.
By the end of May the average daytime high will reach the high 60's Fahrenheit (20 Celsius).
Finally, in June temperatures generally are in the high 60's-low 70's Fahrenheit (20-22 Celsius) for most of the entire month, typically making it one of the most enjoyable months of the year.
Unfortunately during the majority of the last 5-10 spring seasons this typical weather patterns has not emerged.
Temperature swings that normally occur in April now occur in late March as a rule.
Depending on the amount of snowfall during the winter there maybe little or no snow left on the ground by the middle of March.
Most winters in the last 10 years where I live there has been little or no frost in the ground before snowfall covers it, which in turn means quicker melting of snow during winter thaws as well as in the spring.
This allows the ground to heat up more quickly and earlier than in previous decades.
Temperature and precipitation patterns that once lasted for the entire month of April are now compacted into the first 3 weeks of the month with Mays' weather patterns emerging near the end of the month.
Once into the middle of the month of May it seems as though June has arrived.
Of course by mid June we are well into summer weather patterns.
This emerging pattern of Spring being warmer and not as typical as it once was is the reasoning behind keeping your mowing heights higher than previous lawn grass cutting guides suggest.
You should now start in the spring to get your lawn to grow into the summer height at the beginning of the season in case a dry, hot summer comes early.
Once you see the summer pattern emerging add ½" or more depending on your grass type.
By doing this you will reduce the chances of having to water your lawn as much or as early in the season.
This in turn helps you conserve water and create even more shade for your lawn.
Lastly, fertilizing your lawn will help to keep it growing in a healthy manner in turn decreasing the chances of stress caused by Global Warming, weeds and wear due to concentrated over use.
When fertilizing your lawn you will want a slow release formula product that promotes growth over a longer period of time.
By doing this you will save yourself money by not having to apply fertilizer as often during the mowing season, as well as, saving the environment by reducing the amount of fertilizer being put back into the soil and eventually the water table we drink from.
By adapting these suggestions, team, into your Spring and Summer lawn techniques you can lessen the impact that weather has on your lawn.
"Keep It Simple to Succeed" lets get out there and make our lawns healthy and green!