By: Kayla Wyse
By August, many Ohio lawns show the effects of summer heat, drought, and heavy foot traffic. Brown patches, thinning turf, and weed invasions often leave homeowners wondering how to restore their lawns. Fortunately, late summer is one of the best times of the year to improve lawn health.
Evaluate Your Lawn’s Condition
The first step is determining what your lawn needs. Areas that are thin or damaged by heat and traffic often respond well to renovation efforts.
Look for bare or thinning spots, compacted soil, and dry areas in the yard. Identifying problems now helps prioritize fall lawn care activities.
Consider Aeration and Overseeding
Late summer and early fall are ideal times for core aeration and overseeding cool-season grasses. Core aeration helps relieve soil compaction, improve water infiltration, increase oxygen availability to the roots, and create better seed-to-soil contact. Overseeding can thicken turf and improve overall lawn appearance.
Water Deeply and Wisely
Proper watering remains important during August. Rather than applying small amounts frequently, water deeply and less often. This encourages roots to grow deeper into the soil, increasing drought tolerance. Early morning watering is usually the most efficient and effective approach.
Support Recovery With Fertilization
Cool-season grasses naturally enter a period of active growth as temperatures begin to moderate. Late-summer fertilization supports root development and helps lawns recover from summer stress. Following soil test recommendations can help ensure nutrients are applied appropriately.
What to Avoid
Homeowners often undermine their efforts by making common late-summer mistakes. Avoid mowing too short.
Scalping the lawn increases stress and exposes soil to greater heat and moisture loss. Maintain a mowing height of approximately three to four inches. Avoid applying herbicides to stressed lawns.
Heat- and drought-stressed turf can be injured by herbicide applications. Whenever possible, wait for favorable growing conditions before treating weeds.
Be Patient
Brown grass is not always dead grass. Many lawns enter dormancy during hot and dry conditions and recover when cooler temperatures and rainfall return.
Late summer offers a valuable opportunity to improve lawn health before fall arrives. By focusing on aeration, overseeding, proper watering, and appropriate mowing practices, homeowners can build stronger, healthier lawns for the seasons ahead.
The Scarlet Sprout will feature a new gardening topic. If you have specific questions you would like answered in an upcoming column, please contact faes-williamsextension@osu.edu.
Until next time, stay curious about what’s growing in our corner of Ohio.
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Kayla Wyse serves as the Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Educator for Williams County, where she has been supporting residents since 2023. She holds a Master’s in Plant Health Management from The Ohio State University. Kayla is passionate about entomology, soil science, and helping people feel confident in their gardening and growing skills.