How To Take Care Of Your Lawn While You Are On Vacation

When you’re planning a trip, the last thing you want to worry about is how your grass will hold up while you’re away. Fortunately, depending on weather conditions, a healthy, well-tended lawn should last a week or two.

Below, we’ll share a few steps you can take before and after your trip to keep your grass in good condition during the heat of summer. And even if your grass goes into summer dormancy, you can help it bounce back as lush and green as ever.

Before you leave on your trip, follow these simple steps to prepare your lawn.

Mow your lawn just before you leave. Grass grows more slowly in the summer than during cooler seasons. This gives you some leeway to disrupt your regular lawn care routine. Before you leave on your trip, you can mow as you normally would.

Make a plan for watering: If you have an irrigation system, run it normally, but if there’s little rain in the forecast, you’ll probably want to add an extra day of watering for each week you’re gone. If you rely on a hose and sprinkler, wet the grass for about an hour in each area before you leave. You can also ask a trusted neighbor or friend to water your grass and flowers for you.

When you return home from vacation, your lawn may need a little extra care.

Mow the grass a little higher than usual. The more time you spend away, the longer the grass will likely grow. To avoid cutting off more than ⅓ of the grass blade at a time, increase the cutting height and mow a little more frequently until the grass is back to the desired length.

Watering (or not). If the lawn received heavy rain while you were gone, it may be a little soggy and overwatered, so you can let it dry out a bit. On the other hand, if it’s very dry, water it deeply and then resume your regular watering regimen.

If you are going to be away from home for an extended period of time, it is important for your lawn to go dormant. If this happens, don’t panic! This is your lawn’s natural survival mechanism. When your lawn is dormant, the foliage of the plant turns brown and dries out, while the crowns and roots of the plants remain alive.

The key to helping your lawn recover from summer dormancy is patience.

The key to helping your lawn recover from summer dormancy is patience. Most healthy lawns can survive in a dormant state for 3 to 4 weeks without rain or irrigation. Be sure to water your lawn as soon as you return and continue to water it on a regular basis. Once temperatures begin to drop, your lawn will begin to recover, come out of summer dormancy, and continue to grow.