How to Protect Your Lawn From the Summer Heat

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Texas is known for its hot summers. In July and August, the Lone Star State’s average temperature is approximately 96 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combined with moderate to high humidity, this heat can wreak havoc on your lawn, causing it to dry out and eventually die.

As a homeowner, however, there are several precautions you can take to protect your lawn from the summer heat.

Reduce Foot Traffic

Try to limit the amount of foot traffic to which your lawn is exposed. Rather than walking directly through your lawn, consider using the sidewalk or driveway.

You can usually walk over grass without ill effect. During the summer, though, this can stress your lawn to the point where it’s unable to cope with the heat.

Water Regularly

Depending on the climate, as well as the type of grass, most lawns require between 1 and 2 inches of water per week during the summer.

If there’s a drought in your area, you may need to set up a sprinkler to hydrate your lawn.

By regularly watering your lawn, it shouldn’t dry out, even when exposed to the scorching-hot summer temperatures.

Raise Your Mower Blade

Another way to protect your lawn from the summer heat is to raise the blade on your lawnmower. Setting the blade to the lowest height offers the benefit of a shorter lawn, meaning you won’t have to mow your lawn as frequently.

Unfortunately, this comes at the cost of increased stress. When your lawn is mowed too short, it won’t be able to absorb as much moisture, resulting in a higher susceptibility to dehydration under the summer sun.

Don’t Fertilize

While applying fertilizer may sound like an effective way to stimulate your lawn’s growth, it generally offers little or no benefit during the summer.

Lawns are typically stressed during the summer. And when your lawn is stressed, it won’t absorb or use nutrients from fertilizer.

Instead of fertilizing your lawn during the summer, wait until the beginning of spring when the grass is emerging from its dormant state.

Choose the Right Grass for Your Lawn

Finally, be sure to plant the right variety of grass. In Texas, some of the top residential grasses include Buffalo, Bermuda, St. Augustine, Centipede, Fescue and Carpet, all of which are acclimated to the state’s hot summer temperatures.

If you choose a different variety, you may struggle to keep it hydrated and healthy during this time of year.

The Woodsman Company offers tree planting, tree pruning and shrub trimming, tree removal and stump grinding as well as a tree wellness program.

If we can help with any of your tree care needs give us a call at 512-846-2535 or 512-940-0799 or

Request a Quote / Schedule an Appointment

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What to Do If You Discover a Sinkhole in Your Lawn

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Have you discovered a sinkhole opening up in your lawn?

Also known as a doline or swallet, sinkholes are more than just a nuisance; they pose a risk of property damage as well as bodily injury.

While some sinkholes are minor, extending just a few inches into the ground, others can measure dozens or even hundreds of feet deep. As a result, you need to use caution when dealing with sinkholes.

Overview of Sinkholes

Sinkholes are typically created when water washes away a subterranean area that’s covered with a relatively hard material, such as granite or limestone.

Over the course of many years, water will absorb into the ground, causing the area to become unstable. Eventually, the hard material covering the area will collapse, thereby opening up a pit.

Assess the Severity

First and foremost, you need to assess the severity of the sinkhole. If the sinkhole is located next to your home – or if it’s particularly wide and/or deep – you should contact a building inspector for a professional evaluation.

In some cases, you may have to temporarily move out of your home until the sinkhole has been fixed.

Filling a Minor Sinkhole

The good news is that you can typically fill minor sinkholes yourself. Assuming it’s not too large, and it doesn’t pose a risk of property damage or bodily injury, you can simply fill it.

Most experts recommend filling minor sinkholes with concrete and dirt. First, pour concrete into the bottom of the sinkhole to create a hard, stable surface. The purpose of the concrete is to prevent the sinkhole from further deteriorating. After the concrete has dried and hardened, you can then fill the remaining space with sand.

Don’t just any sand, however. Instead, use clayey sand. Clayey sand is less permeable than standard sand, so it offers a higher level of protection against sinkhole formations.

Therefore, you should fill the sinkhole with it rather than standard sand. After the sinkhole has been filled, top it off with a layer of topsoil, at which point it should be stable.

It’s frustrating when a sinkhole opens up in your lawn. Even if it’s small, it will still disrupt your landscape while creating an eyesore that hurts your home’s curb appeal.

With a little work, however, you can fix minor sinkholes by filling them with concrete and sand.

The Woodsman Company offers tree planting, tree pruning and shrub trimming, tree removal and stump grinding as well as a tree wellness program.

If we can help with any of your tree care needs give us a call at 512-846-2535 or 512-940-0799 or

Request a Quote / Schedule an Appointment

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Is Crabgrass Taking Over Your Lawn?

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Crabgrass (genus Digitaria) is a variety of fast-growing, invasive grass. While there are dozens of different species of the crabgrass, nearly all of them have long and slender blades.

Once crabgrass takes root and begins to grow, it can quickly take over your lawn. As a result, your lawn will receive less moisture and fewer nutrients. The good news is that you can protect your lawn from crabgrass in several ways.

Use the Tallest Blade Setting on Your Lawnmower

Some homeowners automatically use the lowest blade setting on their lawnmower, believing this will reduce the frequency at which their lawn requires mowing.

If you use the lowest blade setting, you may be able to get away with mowing your lawn once every two weeks instead of once a week. At the same time, though, it may lead to crabgrass overgrowth.

Using the tallest blade setting actually discourages crabgrass by casting shade over the soil. The taller grass blades prevent sunlight from reaching the soil so that crabgrass or other invasive grass or weeds can’t emerge.

Fertilize Your Lawn

Contrary to popular belief, fertilizer doesn’t encourage or contribute to the growth of crabgrass. It actually reduces the risk of crabgrass by providing your lawn with essential nutrients like potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus.

When your lawn has a sufficient amount of these nutrients, it will thrive. And when this occurs, crabgrass won’t have the opportunity to muscle its way into your lawn. Just remember to aerate your lawn before fertilizing it for maximum benefit.

De-Thatch Your Lawn

In addition to fertilizing your lawn, de-thatching may further protect it from invasive crabgrass. As thatch builds on your lawn, it will create patches of decomposed organic material that crabgrass consumes for nutrients. Therefore, you should de-thatch your lawn on a regular basis to reduce the risk of crabgrass.

Give Your Lawn More Water

Finally, the amount of water your lawn receives will influence its risk of developing crabgrass. If you only give your lawn a few inches of water a week, crabgrass or other invasive weeds may take hold.

With less water, grassroots will remain shallow, resulting in increased stress and a higher susceptibility to crabgrass.

You can keep crabgrass out of your lawn, however, by giving your lawn more water. Some landscaping experts recommend watering to a depth of at least 7 inches to discourage troublesome weeds like crabgrass.

The Woodsman Company offers tree planting, tree pruning and shrub trimming, tree removal and stump grinding as well as a tree wellness program.

If we can help with any of your tree care needs give us a call at 512-846-2535 or 512-940-0799 or

Request a Quote / Schedule an Appointment

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Mulching Around Trees: Why Less Is More

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A common landscaping mistake homeowners make is applying too much mulch around trees.

With its ability to retain moisture and discourage weed growth, mulch is a useful landscaping tool that can enhance your home’s curb appeal. Whether hardwood or softwood, though, you should follow the “less is more” approach when using it around trees.

If you apply too much mulch around a tree, you may notice one or more of the following problems.

Fungal Disease

Fungal disease can strike any tree, regardless of whether it’s surrounded by mulch. However, applying a thick layer of mulch around the trunk of a tree will make it more susceptible to fungal disease.

The problem with excessive mulch is that it creates a dark, damp and nutrient-rich environment in which fungi can thrive. As the fungi thrives in the mulch, it may infect the tree with a disease.

Some fungal diseases are minor, but others can cause significant stress or even death.

Root Rot

Another reason you shouldn’t use too much mulch around trees is because it can cause root rot. Even if a tree is green and otherwise healthy, it may suffer from root rot if it’s surrounded with too much mulch.

Mulch can cause root rot in several ways. First, it restricts the roots of oxygen, which of course is needed for proper health and growth. Second, excess mulch traps moisture, allowing rot-causing microorganisms to thrive.

For a healthy root system, you must avoid using too much mulch around trees.

Pests

Insects are naturally attracted to mulch, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that using too much around a tree will leave the tree vulnerable to pests.

If you apply too much mulch around the trunk of a tree, you may notice pests boring holes into or even eating the tree.

How Much Mulch Should I Use?

To protect against fungal disease, root rot and pests, you must avoid using too much mulch. You can still apply mulch around the trunk of a tree, but you should keep it to a minimum.

A good rule of thumb is thumb is to keep the mulch layer less than 2 inches deep. At this depth, it shouldn’t have an adverse impact on the tree’s health. Rather, it will provide just enough coverage to discourage weed growth while improving the aesthetics of your landscape in the process.

The Woodsman Company offers tree planting, tree pruning and shrub trimming, tree removal and stump grinding as well as a tree wellness program.

If we can help with any of your tree care needs give us a call at 512-846-2535 or 512-940-0799 or

Request a Quote / Schedule an Appointment

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