A well-maintained lawn is essential for a beautiful garden, as it is the first thing that people notice, but the hot weather can easily cause the grass to turn yellow. Grass quickly loses moisture when the sun is out and needs help to stay protected if you do not want it to dehydrate.
Geoff Hodge, a expert from Richard Jacksons Garden, has shared one of the biggest mistakes lawn owners make at this time of year is not mowing the lawn properly. He said: “Grass will start growing strongly in spring, so the lawn will need regular mowing. Most people mow their lawns far too low, scalping the grass, or too infrequently, both of which weaken it and allow weeds and moss to establish.”
Grass obviously needs to be mowed to stay tidy, but cutting it too short means the blades will not be able to photosynthesise properly.
In May, grass is growing again and needs time to establish strong roots that can hold lots of water before summer arrives and heat gets even more intense.
If a lawn is cut too much, it will struggle to produce energy and make it harder to retain moisture, so you are more likely to get yellow patchy grass as it will quickly dry out.
It will also not be thick enough to compete against weeds or moss, so you will have to spend more time maintaining a lawn this summer if you want it to stay healthy.
To keep your lawn green, it is best to only trim the top and this time of year and never mow more than one-third of its height.
Geoff said: “For normal lawns that take a lot of wear and tear, the height should be around 4 to 5cm (1½-2in).
“For ‘bowling green’ lawns of fine-leaved grasses, this should be about 2-2.5cm (¾-1in). For lawns growing in shaded areas, mow even higher – around 7.5cm (3in).”
If you mow your lawn, water it and then feed it in late spring, then you are more likely to get a greener and healthier lawn that needs a lot less maintenance.
Lawns lose a lot of water while sitting in the hot sun, so make sure to keep watering thoroughly at least once a week to keep it looking its best.
Mowing the lawn makes it lose a lot of nutrients, so if you want to keep it green, you need to fertilise it properly.
Geoff said: “Good feeding also makes the grass thicker, stronger and healthier, so it is better equipped to fight off moss, weeds and even drought stress in summer and cold and wet stress in winter.”
Liquid fertilisers are less likely to burn the grass in the sun, but many people also enjoy using more natural methods like Epsom salt or even used coffee grounds to feed their lawn.