You might think you’re helping your yard this summer, but you could be doing more harm than good.
That’s according to Ben Futa, founder of Botany + Co. in South Bend and host of Let’s Grow Stuff on PBS Wisconsin. As many northern Indiana homeowners struggle to keep their lawns green during hot, dry weather, Futa said some of the most common lawn care habits are actually stressing turf even more.
“Our turf grass is built to go dormant in summer,” Futa said. “So if your lawn is crispy right now, it’s not dead, it’s just dormant. It’s a survival mechanism.”
Futa said watering during the hottest part of the day is one of the worst things people can do.
“We recommend doing it either in the early morning or the evening,” he said, “but never in the heat of the day because you're going to lose most of that water to either evaporation or it's, it's going to actually burn the leaves more, so it kind of acts like a, like a focusing lens or magnifying glass.”
He also recommends skipping fertilizer altogether during stretches of extreme heat, and mowing grass higher than usual to help protect root systems and keep the soil shaded.
“Short mowing leads to short roots,” Futa said. “The longer the grass blade, the deeper the root system, which makes your lawn more drought-resistant overall.”
Futa opened Botany + Co. in 2021 and hosts the shop’s annual “Plant Pride” event, now in its fourth year, featuring local makers, food trucks and live music. But in interviews, he’s just as quick to talk about soil health as he is about celebrations.
“You don’t need to panic,” he said. “Your lawn knows how to take care of itself, as long as you stop getting in the way.”
