Massachusetts Landscape Tips ~ Summer

Summertime in Massachusetts is very harsh on your landscape. It is important to change our practices to accommodate the “rising mercury”. The most obvious victim to the heat and scorching sun is our lawns. Though rain was very heavy in the spring, many surrounding towns will soon have water restrictions. Less water for your lawn, coupled with the heat, will put an extreme amount of stress on the above ground portion of your turfgrass.

Some turf species, most notably Kentucky Bluegrass varieties, will place itself in a state of dormancy to conserve the underground root system when sufficient moisture is not available. No longer will it put energy into producing food for itself and remaining green, but will seek available water and nutrients to keep its root system alive. This dormancy is evident when the grass blades turn brown and straw-like. Though it may look dead and in need of repair, chances are that most of the turf will come back in early August to late September when the nights become longer, the temperatures start to decline, and moisture is more readily available.

A practice, which helps with maintaining a green lawn longer, is to simply mow your grass higher. Tell your Massachusetts landscape maintenance company to raise their mower decks when the weather begins to get hot in the summertime. The longer blades of grass will aid in shading the soil, keeping it cooler and reducing evaporation. Though your lawn may not look quite as manicured, it may stay green longer, which will help in reviving your lawn in the fall from the summer stress.

Now that most plants have put on their spring and summer growth, many will tend to look overgrown or like they are overcrowding an area. While you may be tempted to prune or cut back the plant to make it look more tidy or to control its size in the summer, we recommend (and many experts agree) only to prune in the late fall or winter, or very, very, early in the spring (late February, early March). As we mentioned in last months tips, pruning while a plant is putting out its leaves will cost the plant energy, resulting in poor flowering or poor growth. Whenever cuts are made, the area immediately surrounding the cut is invigorated and often will begin to push out new stem or branch growth. This will result in short growth period and often the branch will be unable to harden off before the frosts’ come, causing damage to the tree as well. Using gas powered shears is not recommended because it promotes growth along the path you cut, with the branches and leaves ultimately growing thick enough to shade the lower branches of sunlight. The final result for most shrubs will be thick top growth and the center of the bush will have none.

One new development in the never-ending need to prune is the growing popularity of using plant growth regulators (PGR’s). This is a substance much like a fertilizer, which essentially turns off the switch that tells the plant to grow. By using PGR’s on your landscape, you will notice a decreased rate of growth, a much greater flowering effect, and will greatly reduce yard waste by not having to prune off as much of the plant. Even cities and towns have begun to use PGR’s as a means of keeping trees close to power lines smaller and reduce the need to call in the tree companies to prune out limbs which have stretched over lines.

The fall edition of Massachusetts Landscaping Tips will include information on those May/June Beetles which are flying around your property right now and how best to control them for next year.

If you have questions regarding your Massachusetts landscape, don’t hesitate to contact Eric Horrocks who is a Certified Massachusetts Horticulturist, or check with your local University Extension Program. Eric can be reached at