PODCAST (Above) - As extreme summer temperatures and elevated ground ozone levels continue to bake Middle Tennessee, local horticulture experts are suggesting a warning for homeowners to heed. That warning focuses on daily lawn care habits. During periods of severe heat, turfgrass experiences extreme stress, and many well-intentioned residents are inadvertently accelerating the demise of their lawns through improper mowing and watering techniques. Fescue, a common cool-season grass in the region, is particularly vulnerable to the scorching mid-summer sun and requires specific management to survive until the cooler autumn months arrive.

Our guests in studio are Dana Fulgham, Carol Wood and Lynn Salais, all Master Gardeners in Rutherford County. On this episode of the WGNS Action Line, host Scott Walker talks lawns and gardens. All three became Master Gardeners through the Rutherford County Agriculture Extension Office.

One of the most critical mistakes homeowners make is cutting their grass too short. Dropping the mower deck to give the yard a "golf course" look removes the protective canopy that shades the delicate root system. Learn more about that grass and how high or how low to cut it, on today's program (click the play button above this description to hear our podcast).

Watering at the wrong time of day is another fast track to a ruined yard, vegetable garden or your landscape. While it might seem logical to water in the evening when temperatures drop, leaving turf wet overnight creates a perfect breeding ground for destructive fungal diseases like brown patch and dollar spot. Conversely, watering in the middle of the afternoon is highly inefficient due to rapid evaporation. Experts strongly recommend running sprinklers exclusively in the early morning hours, ideally between 5:00 AM and 9:00 AM, allowing the water to soak deeply into the soil while ensuring the grass blades dry completely in the afternoon sun. Providing a deep, infrequent soaking of about an inch of water per week is far superior to shallow daily waterings, helping your lawn weather the heatwave and emerge vibrant in the fall.

Don't forget, the Farmer's Market is every Tuesday and Friday at the Lane Agri Park on John R. Rice Blve. in Murfreesboro, down the street from Sam's Wholesale Club. Click here for more on the farmer's only Farmer's Market. 

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