Warm Weather Landscaping Tips to Keep Your Home Looking Its Best
- Cote Landscape Construction
Summer heat can take a toll on your lawn and garden. Here are the essential warm-weather landscaping tips every Rhode Island homeowner should know to keep their property looking sharp all season long.
Beat the Heat: Landscaping Tips for Summer in Rhode Island
Summer in Northern Rhode Island is beautiful — but it can also be brutal on your lawn and garden. Between the heat, humidity, and dry spells, your landscaping needs a little extra attention to stay healthy and vibrant. Here are our top tips to keep your property looking its best from June through September.
1. Water Deeply, Not Frequently
The biggest watering mistake homeowners make in summer is watering a little every day. Shallow, frequent watering encourages shallow roots — making your lawn more vulnerable to heat stress and drought. Instead, water deeply two to three times per week, allowing moisture to penetrate 4–6 inches into the soil. Early morning is the best time: less evaporation, less disease risk.
2. Raise Your Mowing Height
During hot weather, cut your grass higher — around 3 to 3.5 inches for most cool-season grasses common in Rhode Island like Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue. Longer blades shade the soil, retain moisture, and reduce heat stress on the turf. Never remove more than one-third of the blade height in a single mowing.
3. Mulch Your Beds
A 2–3 inch layer of mulch around trees, shrubs, and garden beds is one of the simplest things you can do for your landscape. Mulch retains soil moisture, regulates temperature, suppresses weeds, and improves the look of any property. Top it off in early summer and your beds will stay healthier all season.
4. Deadhead Flowers Regularly
Removing spent blooms — called deadheading — encourages plants to produce more flowers instead of diverting energy to seed production. It takes just a few minutes a week and makes a significant difference in how full and vibrant your garden looks throughout summer.
5. Watch for Signs of Stress
Yellowing leaves, wilting in the morning, or brown tips can all signal problems — from over- or under-watering to nutrient deficiencies or disease. Catching issues early is always easier (and cheaper) than addressing them after they've spread. When in doubt, call a professional landscaper for an assessment.
6. Feed Strategically
Summer is not the time for heavy fertilization on cool-season lawns — heavy nitrogen feeding during a heat wave can burn your turf. Stick to light applications of slow-release fertilizer, and save the major feeding programs for fall when cool-season grasses are actively growing.
Let Cote Landscape Help
Keeping up with summer landscaping can feel like a full-time job. At Cote Landscape Construction, we've been helping Northern Rhode Island homeowners maintain beautiful properties for over 18 years. Whether you need a full lawn care program or just want a consultation, we're here to help.
Call us at (401) 450-4547 or send us a message — we'd love to see how we can help your property shine this summer.
- Lawn Care
- Landscaping Tips
- Summer
- Rhode Island
Request a free estimate or call (401) 450-4547.