Summer in the UK means spending more time in the garden. Whether it’s barbecues, games with the kids, or just enjoying a cup of tea in the sun, a tidy, green lawn really makes a difference. But lawns can struggle a little in the warmer months. Between the heat, dry spells, and heavy foot traffic, your grass will probably need a bit of extra care to stay looking its best. So what are the important steps for looking after your lawn in the summer? And how can you keep your lawn fresh, healthy, and tidy?
What are the important steps for looking after your lawn in the summer?
There are a number of different steps you should take to make sure that your lawn stays healthy and looks its best over the summer months. These include:
- Regular mowing
- Watering effectively
- Making small seeds repairs
- Edging the lawn
Regular mowing
Mowing your lawn regularly can allow the grass to grow thick and healthy. In summer, you should aim to mow once a week, or more frequently if it’s growing quickly. However, it’s essential that you don’t cut the grass too short. This is because, in the summer heat, this can lead to the grass being vulnerable to drought and can cause it to die off. As such, over the summer months you should aim to cut the grass to a height of around 4cm. With this small amount of extra height, the grass can provide shade to the soil, helping the ground to retain more moisture and keeping the roots cooler.
Also, you should try to avoid mowing when the grass is wet as this can tear rather than cut cleanly, and clumps of wet clippings can smother the grass underneath.
Watering effectively
While British weather is unpredictable all year round, and rainy summers are nothing unusual, we do still get the occasional dry spell. If we experience a week or more without rain, this can be the perfect time to give the grass a soak.
In this situation, it’s important to water deeply, rather than little and often. This is because a thorough watering will soak further into the soil, encouraging the roots to grow deeper, making the grass more resistant to drier conditions and drought.
It’s also important to water early in the morning or in the evening, when it’s cooler, to reduce evaporation. Whatever you do, you should avoid watering during the hottest part of the day. Not only will this be less effective, but it can actually scorch the grass.
If this summer sees a hosepipe van put in place, don’t panic. Most lawns will bounce back once the rain returns, even if they go a bit brown for a while.
Spot repair seeding
Summer isn’t the best time of year for full-scale lawn seeding. The hot, dry weather can make it difficult for seeds to establish. However, if you have a few bare patches that are annoying you, you can do some light repair work.
Water the area well before and after sowing a small amount of grass seed, and try to do it just before some forecast rain if possible. Keep it moist for a couple of weeks while the new grass settles in. A lawn feed with a little nitrogen can also help encourage quick growth.
For bigger reseeding jobs, it’s best to wait until early autumn when the soil is still warm but the rain is more reliable.
Edging the lawn
Neat edges make a huge difference to how tidy your whole garden looks and summer is the perfect time to sharpen them up. You can use a half-moon edging tool to reshape the lawn edges along flower beds, paths, and patios. If you prefer physical edging, it’s important to choose an option that will keep out the weeds and keep the structure of your lawn.
FlexiBorder can be the perfect choice for edging your lawn. Made from recycled tyres, this is flexible to up to 70 degrees, so even for circular and curved lawns, this can be an effective solution. It is also UV and weather resistant withstanding even the harshest elements. Why not take a look at the range of options on offer today?
