Summer of ’22 – Welcome to Death Valley!
I had a pet lizard once. His name was Vinnie. Vinnie liked his home to be hot, dry and filled with sand. Thanks to Mother Nature we all now know what it is like to live in Death Valley. I have been doing this lawn thing since 1992. After 30 years, you would think that I would’ve seen it all. Nope! 2022 was pathetic. After a super wet and unusually cool spring, we were thrown into a big ol’ version of Vinnie’s lizard hut. Starting June 1st we received ZERO rain and daily temperatures of 95+ degrees. 50 days of torture. It was tough on us all.
Most of all it was tough on our lawns. We always get weather extremes here, but this was different. This year it started on June 1st not August 1st. According to Springfield’s legendary meteorologist, KY3’s Brandon Beck, we were 6″ over our average total for rainfall on May 29th. By July 22nd we had used up all our surplus and were almost.5″ behind. Lawns burned up, trees died, and no amount of city supplied water helped no matter how much we tried. The only thing that seemed to like living 2″ from the Sun were crabgrass and lizards!
Please keep this once in 30 years anomaly of weather in mind when you look at your lawn. We know it is frustrating, disheartening, and downright upsetting. We work hard and do everything possible to make your lawn look great, but apparently Mother Nature hates us. I wish ClassicLawns could control the weather. That would be awesome. Your lawn would love us, you would love us and poor old Vinnie would freeze to death!
The good news is that Fall is right around the corner and that grass is resilient. Most of your grass will recover. However, you most likely will need to do some seeding. Keep reading for more info on seeding or click here!
