How to maintain a healthy and nourished lawn in the extreme heat.

This year is predicted to be one of the hottest recorded and global temperatures are expected to keep rising. UK lawns are used to cool and wet weather, so the drastic change in climate and temperatures during summer months can leave them stressed and at risk of drying out. 

 

Below are some tips that will help tp keep your lawn healthy during the hot and dry period. 

 

Keeping up with good lawncare practices all year round will give your lawn the best chance of surviving the heat. If a lawn is in poor condition at the start of the summer, grass roots will be much more likely to weaken and deteriorate once the temperatures rise. Regularly feeding your lawn, weeding, aerating and scarifiyng will give your lawn the best chance of survival. 

 

The temptation in the summer is to water daily, be careful to not water excessively as you may wash away essential nutrients from the soil. If you want to feed the lawn use a fertiliser with higher levels of potassium, this helps to improve root growth and helps the grass to absorb water. 

 

Lawns are hardier than you think and can survive long spells of dry weather. During the summer, make sure to do an occasional heavy watering. Irrigating before watering will help the water to better reach the roots. To reduce the amount of moisture that evaporates it is best to water early in the morning. 

 

When cutting your lawn in a heatwave it is best to increase the height of your cut, the longer grass will help to capture the water and the longer grass stems will help to shade the soil.