If You'll Be Gone for 1 Week or Less...When you're going away for a week in the summer, your lawn won't even miss you. Lawns grow more slowly in the heat of summer, so simple preparations will do just fine. Just mow your lawn at the regular height the day before you go. If you water your lawn, be sure to water it deeply the day before you leave.
If You'll Be Away for 2 Weeks or More ...Before you go, set your mower down a notch and mow it the day before you leave. When you get back, raise your mower 2 notches before you cut your lawn. Try not to take off more than on third of the grass height at a time. Also, water your lawn deeply the day before you leave if watering is not restricted. Your lawn may go dormant in hot, dry weather while you're away. Not to worry. Going dormant is a healthy coping mechanism for grass. You can water it deeply when you get back. If you'll be gone for more than 2 weeks, you may want to hire the neighborhood kid or a mowing service to cut your grass while you're away.
