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Summer Advice

For those few days of sunshine we get in a year

Finally! The sun is out, the weather is hot, and it’s the time of year to spend more time in your garden. The great outdoors calls us all in different ways; from simply relaxing and soaking up the sun, to enjoying playtime with family and pets or having BBQs with your friends, you can see why the garden becomes the place to be in the summer. Make sure you don’t neglect it by making some tweaks to your lawn care regime and ensure it survives if we do have a heat wave. Our tips below should ensure your lawn remains green and lush through summer.

Mowing

When the sun is out, a chore like lawn mowing somehow doesn’t seem so bad. We usually advise a mowing height of between 20mm and 40mm to stimulate growth, encourage a healthier root system, push out the weeds and minimise stress during drought periods. However, if it’s getting really hot out there, you can leave the grass longer to provide a degree of shade and protection and help retain moisture better.

Make sure you are mowing with a nice sharp blade, as damaged grass is more prone to disease, and combined with hot, dry weather this could affect the health of your lawn.  See more information on our mowing page.

Watering

While we are finally getting the much-needed sunshine we have been craving, it does come at a price. Watering during hot spells is critical to your lawn’s health, so do ensure that you are giving your grass enough. Don’t do a little bit every day, as this can cause your grass to develop shallow roots and become prone to drying out quicker!

We recommend thoroughly saturating the grass once a week as the water needs to reach a depth of a minimum of 4 inches. If the forecast is for a hot summer’s day, then focus on watering in the morning or early evening to reduce the risk of water evaporating before it has had a chance to soak in.

See our dedicated pages on lawn watering for further information on keeping the lawn hydrated and how much it is likely to cost.

Weeds

Weeds may still be lurking so this will be a perfect time to remove them by using a selective spot treatment. It may be more effective to dig out perennial weeds that have deeper roots, and in drier weather these should come out of the soil a little easier. Like with fertiliser, weed treatments can burn off the lawn if applied in the wrong conditions so don’t apply on a hot sunny day.

Keep Out The Shade

Now the sun is out, we need to make sure the sunlight is reaching the grass. There are different objects that can obscure the rays, from hedges to sheds. The simple solution is to trim back any overhanging branches and stems to allow more sunlight through. If there is an area of the lawn that is particularly shady then you can expect the grass to grow at a slower rate, and maybe more receptible to moss.

Any objects left on the lawn, such as trampolines and pet cages, are going to block out sunlight to the area underneath and leave brown dead patches, so move around the garden regularly to avoid this. Otherwise, over seeding may be required in the Autumn to repair them.

Summer Feed

As the weather starts to warm up and the sun is out, you can expect your lawn to grow at a rapid rate. The lawn will start to soak up the nutrients in the soil so to give your lawn a helping hand, provide a summer feed to help it look its best. Many products come in granular form and a hand spreader can be purchased cheaply to ensure you are applying evenly over the lawn and at the manufacturer’s recommended rate. If we are experiencing a particularly hot and dry period, be cautious when applying fertiliser as you could risk scorching the lawn. Read the instructions carefully and if possible, find a product with low scorch potential.

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