This year, the average temperature during the month of June in the Seattle metro area was one for the record books.

During this time of year, there’s an uptick in questions from valued customers regarding the lawn color on their commercial property. Property owners and site managers want to know why it’s brown and dry, and what they can do to bring it back to a green state.

Below are some watering insights for your business’ landscape:

• Be sure to water—this is the most common response as to why the grass is brown and dry–when mother Earth isn’t providing rainfall the watering needs to be done manually; be sure to water thoroughly, so it reaches the roots
• Try to water during the early morning to reduce evaporation, this also gives your lawn enough time to absorb the water and dry properly
• If your business’ landscape uses a sprinkler system, ensure all zones are working correctly, so all areas are receiving water; check the system weekly for broken or misaligned heads. Sprinkler systems should run between 15-25 minutes daily (or more depending on temperature).
• If the commercial landscape doesn’t see much foot traffic, you can let the grass go dormant. This is done by not watering and letting it turn brown. However, dormant lawns can be easily damaged if there’s too much use. This is a very cost effective and environmentally friendly method. Don’t worry, the grass should turn green when it starts raining again
• Don’t forget about flower pots in your store front! They need water too!

All grass is not created equal, but these tips should help your commercial/business landscape get on the right track to a greener state.

Have a happy and safe Fourth of July!