Fresno averages 38 days above 100°F every summer, and it's not unusual for temps to hit 110°F+ for a week straight. That kind of heat kills lawns fast — but it doesn't have to kill yours. Here are the 5 survival rules that keep Central Valley lawns green through the worst of summer, plus an emergency plan for extreme heat waves.
The 5 Summer Lawn Survival Rules
- Raise your mowing height
- Water deeply, not often
- Stop fertilizing in July and August
- Don't skip mowing
- Watch for pests
If you follow just these five rules, your Kerman, Fresno, or Clovis lawn will make it through summer in far better shape than your neighbors' lawns. Let's break each one down.
Rule 1: Raise Your Mowing Height
Bermuda grass: Raise to 2–2.5 inches (up from the typical 1.5 inches in spring).
Fescue: Raise to 3.5–4 inches.
Taller grass shades its own root zone, which keeps soil temperature several degrees cooler and reduces moisture loss from evaporation. When you scalp a lawn in summer heat, you expose the soil surface to direct sun. Soil temperatures can spike to 140°F+ at the surface in full sun — hot enough to literally cook roots.
Pro Tip: Measure your mowing height with a ruler on a flat surface, not by eyeballing it. Many homeowners think they're cutting at 2 inches when they're actually at 1.25. That half-inch difference matters enormously in 105°F heat.
Every mow should follow the one-third rule: never remove more than one-third of the blade height at once. If your Bermuda is at 3 inches and you need it at 2 inches, take it down in two mows spaced a few days apart.
Rule 2: Water Deeply, Not Often
Central Valley cities operate on a 3-day watering schedule from April through October. With only three watering days per week, every session has to deliver enough water to sustain your lawn for 48 hours until the next watering day — including through 100°F+ afternoons.
The best approach: Run each sprinkler zone for two short cycles instead of one long one. For example, run each station for 12–15 minutes starting at 6:00 AM, then run the same zones again at 7:00 AM. The first cycle wets the soil surface so the second cycle soaks deeper without runoff.
Target depth: Water should penetrate 4–6 inches into the soil. Test this by pushing a screwdriver into the ground an hour after watering — it should slide in easily to about 6 inches. If it stops at 2 inches, you're watering too shallow.
Timing: Always water between 4:00 AM and 8:00 AM. Watering in the evening leaves grass wet overnight, which promotes fungal disease. Watering midday loses 30–40% of water to evaporation — a waste you can't afford on a restricted schedule. For the complete schedule by city, see our watering restrictions guide.
Pro Tip: Clay soil — which most of Fresno and Kerman sit on — absorbs water slowly. If you see pooling or runoff after 5 minutes, your soil can't absorb water as fast as the sprinklers deliver it. Switch to three shorter cycles (8 minutes each) with 30-minute breaks between them.
Rule 3: Stop Fertilizing in July and August
This is the rule most homeowners get wrong. When grass starts to struggle in heat, the instinct is to "feed" it. But applying nitrogen fertilizer in 100°F+ weather forces growth the plant can't sustain.
Here's what happens: nitrogen pushes rapid blade growth, which requires more water and more energy from the root system. The roots are already stressed from heat. You're asking a runner in a marathon to sprint — it doesn't end well.
When to stop: After your late May or early June fertilizer application, don't apply nitrogen again until mid-September when temperatures break below 95°F consistently.
What about iron? Chelated iron (EDDHA form) is different from nitrogen fertilizer. You can and should continue iron applications through summer to prevent iron chlorosis. Iron doesn't force growth — it just keeps the existing grass green.
Pro Tip: If your lawn looks pale or thin in July, resist the urge to fertilize. The most likely causes are heat stress, inadequate watering depth, or iron chlorosis — not nitrogen deficiency. Address those first.
Rule 4: Don't Skip Mowing
When it's 105°F outside, the last thing you want to do is mow. But skipping mows leads to problems that compound fast.
Unmowed grass develops excessive thatch — the layer of dead organic material between the soil surface and the green blades. Thick thatch blocks water from reaching roots, harbors fungal diseases, and creates a humid microclimate that attracts pests. In Central Valley heat, thatch problems accelerate because decomposition is faster.
Mowing schedule in summer: Bermuda should be mowed every 5–7 days, even in extreme heat. Fescue can go 7–10 days between cuts.
Timing: Mow early in the morning (before 9:00 AM) when temperatures are below 90°F. Mowing in afternoon heat stresses the grass and stresses you. If morning doesn't work, late evening (after 7:00 PM) is the second-best option.
Pro Tip: Keep your mower blades sharp throughout summer. Dull blades tear rather than cut, leaving ragged tips that brown quickly in dry heat. Sharpen or replace blades in June — they dull faster in summer from increased mowing frequency.
Rule 5: Watch for Pests
Summer heat doesn't just stress your lawn — it creates ideal conditions for pests that target weakened grass.
Bermuda mites: Microscopic pests that attack Bermuda grass, causing short and twisted growth ("witches' broom" appearance). Damage looks like irregular yellow or stunted patches that don't respond to water or fertilizer. Bermuda mites are most active in June through August.
Grubs (white grubs): Larvae of beetles that feed on grass roots underground. Symptoms include brown patches that peel up like carpet because the roots are gone. The "tug test" — grabbing a handful of grass and pulling — will reveal grub damage if the grass pulls away easily with no root resistance.
Chinch bugs: Tiny insects that suck plant juices and inject toxins that kill grass. Damage appears as expanding irregular brown patches, often starting near sidewalks and driveways where temperatures are hottest.
What to do: If yellow or brown patches don't respond to watering adjustments and iron treatment within a week, assume pests until proven otherwise. Pull back the grass at the edge of a damaged area and look for grubs (white C-shaped larvae) or use the "float test" — push a bottomless coffee can into the soil, fill with water, and watch for chinch bugs floating to the surface.
Pro Tip: Healthy, properly watered lawns resist pest damage far better than stressed ones. Rules 1–4 are your best pest prevention strategy. If you do have a pest problem, targeted treatment is far more effective than broadcast insecticide. Our lawn care service includes pest monitoring and treatment.
August Heat Emergency Plan
When forecasts show 110°F+ for three or more consecutive days, shift into emergency mode:
1. Maximize watering depth on every scheduled day. Run your longest legal cycle. If your city allows watering before 10:00 AM, start as early as 4:00 AM so the soil absorbs water before peak heat.
2. Spot-water by hand if allowed. Most Central Valley water districts allow hand-watering with a shut-off nozzle on any day, any time. Walk your yard in the evening and hand-water any areas that look particularly stressed — corners, edges near hardscape, and south-facing slopes.
3. Stay off the lawn. Foot traffic on heat-stressed grass damages the crowns (the growing point at the base of each plant). If the crown dies, the grass doesn't recover. Keep kids, pets, and furniture off the lawn during extreme heat events.
4. Do not mow during a 110°F+ streak. Skip one mow cycle if the heat wave lasts less than a week. The slight overgrowth is worth the reduced stress on the plant.
5. Accept temporary browning. Some discoloration during extreme heat is normal and not permanent. If roots survive, the grass will recover once temps moderate.
Is Your Grass Dead or Dormant?
After a brutal stretch of heat, it's hard to know whether your brown lawn is gone for good or just waiting for cooler weather.
The pull test: Grab a small section of brown grass and tug firmly. If it resists and stays rooted, the grass is dormant — the roots and crowns are alive, and it will green up with cooler temperatures and regular watering. If it pulls out easily with no root resistance, that section is dead and will need to be replaced.
The timeline test: Bermuda grass can survive 3–4 weeks of dormancy from heat stress. If your lawn has been brown for less than a month and passes the pull test, it's almost certainly dormant. Give it two weeks of consistent watering on schedule and watch for green-up.
The patch test: Water one small brown area by hand every day for a week. If you see any green emerging, the grass is alive. If nothing happens after 7 days of daily watering, that area likely needs sod replacement.
Pro Tip: Dormant Bermuda can look completely dead — straw-brown and crispy — but still recover fully. Don't rip it out too soon. Give it time.
What About Fescue in Summer?
Tall fescue is a cool-season grass that struggles in Central Valley summers far more than Bermuda. If you have a fescue lawn, expect some summer thinning and browning even with perfect care. Fescue doesn't go fully dormant like Bermuda — it just declines.
To maximize fescue survival: mow at 4 inches, water deeply on every available day, apply potassium (potash) in May to improve heat tolerance, and accept that your lawn won't look its best from July to September. Many fescue lawns need overseeding in fall to fill in summer losses.
For a full comparison of how each grass type handles our climate, see our Bermuda vs. Fescue guide.
Don't Fight Summer Alone
Managing a lawn through Central Valley summers is a season-long commitment — adjusting mowing height, dialing in irrigation, monitoring for pests, and applying the right products at the right time. That's exactly what our lawn care maintenance plans cover.
Book summer lawn care or call (559) 809-1230. We keep lawns alive and green across Kerman, Fresno, and Clovis — even when it's 110°F outside.