This Month in a Nutshell

What a lousy July! Still little rain in the south west but for most the grass will be growing and the rain will more than likely have leached out any remaining fertiliser in the soil. Therefore, consider a top-up with either a soluble feed if you're between applications or a late summer granular feed. Some guidance here.

More rain and a little less heat is normal for late summer and early autumn as indicated by this months forecast below. Though these conditions are good for growth they are also good for fungal diseases such as Red Thread. July has evidenced quite serious outbreaks due to all the rain and we expect increased intensity and grass damage as we progress into August. See Pest & Disease below for more guidance.

Summary 'to do' list for August:

• Keep 'Red Thread' under control
• Fertilising
• Weed Control
• Raking, scarifying and over-seeding

The Weather

Being an optimistic person I'm hoping for better weather mid-August onwards. 

Long range forecast courtesy of the Met Office

28th to 6th August: The start of this period is likely to see an unsettled regime, with showers which could be heavy with the risk of thunder, and potentially some longer spells of rain. The wettest conditions are likely in the north and west, although still with some showers towards the southeast. Fresh to strong winds are likely at times, especially near western and southern coasts. Temperatures around average to rather cool, especially in more persistent rain or showers. Through the rest of this period, a similar theme is likely to continue with a mixture of showers and longer spells of rain, especially towards the northwest, along with some drier interludes, these perhaps becoming slightly more likely towards the southeast. Temperatures mostly around normal for the time of year.

7th to 21st August: This period may start with a continuation of unsettled conditions, with a mixture of scattered showers and longer spells of rain, especially towards the northwest. However, there is a slightly higher chance of longer more settled interludes developing towards the southeast. Towards the middle of the month, these may develop into a gradual settling down of conditions overall with longer periods of drier weather and more sunshine compared with previous weeks. However, confidence is limited and unsettled spells are still possible. Temperatures may be near or below average at first, however improving conditions through the period may bring a gradual upward trend in temperatures, with a slightly higher than normal chance of above average temperatures by the end of the period.

£100 of Goodies to be Won this Month!!!

We are pleased to announce that we have recently introduced a new secure payment system called Vyne for orders of £25 and over (including delivery).

Any order placed using Vyne during July and August 2023 will automatically be entered into our prize draw with a chance to win £100 of fertiliser or grass seed of your choice.

What is Vyne?

Vyne is an account-to-account payment provider that uses your banks' own technology to enable you to pay faster, easier and safer. 

Why use Vyne? 

Fast, Secure & Simple - You don’t need to open a Vyne account to make a payment. Simply choose Vyne Pay with Bank at checkout, select your bank and either use the online banking method or log into your mobile banking app, just like normal. Confirm the payment and you’re done and no pin codes sent to your phone either!

Try your luck by giving it a go!

What's New?

In our new section Lawn Care Problems we have added dozens of new articles to help you care for your lawn. They answer many of the most common and not so common problems and questions you ask us on a day to day basis. Here are the latest articles added during the last few months:

New for this Lawn Diary

• Slow Growing Grass for Lawns
• Best Lawn Fertiliser for Clay Soils
• Best Lawn Fertiliser for Sandy Soils
• How to Mix Lawn Weed Killer with Fertiliser

From the previous Lawn Diary

• Afercut Lawn Care Pros and Cons
• Should I let my Lawn go to Seed?
• Grass Seed for Clay Soil

Lawn Trends - A MUST Visit

Please visit the most import and current seasonal articles here

Mowing the Lawn

If you have good levels of moisture the grass growth should be at or near its best so mow on a weekly basis. If wet weather causes a resurgence of moss raise the mowing height at least one if not two notches. If growth is sluggish due to lack of moisture mow at least every 10 days. If it's wet and you're struggling to mow the lawn read this How to Mow Wet or Long Grass

Mowers

For the mowing season you need to do two things: keep it clean and keep it sharp. If the grass is damp it can easily build up inside the mower so always give the mower a good brush, scrape or hose down after every use. Secondly, if you do a lot of mowing, then be prepared to sharpen or swap blades midyear to maintain a clean cut.

Fertilising the Lawn

Giving the lawn a helping hand this month with a generous feed will not only make it look a whole lot better but will keep growth optimal thus reducing moss invasion and helping the lawn wear better during the school holidays.

As August is the tale end of summer lawn feeding and the start of autumn fertilising we suggest you apply as follows if moisture levels are reasonable:

• If you're south of the borders and haven't already applied a summer feed then any of our Spring & Summer slow release fertilisers are ideal. You can then apply an autumn feed in late October or early November.
• If you're in Scotland use an Autumn lawn feed. Traditionally autumn fertiliser can be applied anytime from middle August through October in most parts of the country.
• If your lawn is presently on the dry side wait and use an Autumn lawn feed once conditions improve anytime from mid August through October
• If you're feeding with our Liquid Fertiliser carry on as required and apply your granular Autumn lawn feed as above - NOTE do not use liquid products on dry lawns

Don't forget that if you're doing any lawn renovation including scarifying and over seeding, put the fertiliser in afterwards and NOT before.

Red Thread note: If your lawn is suffering red thread and you need to feed to grow the damage out then if possible delay an autumn feed until later and use a Spring & Summer Fertiliser now which is considerably stronger for promoting growth. The higher the N (nitrogen) number the better. This information can be found at the bottom of any of the fertiliser product pages.

Spreading Fertiliser Videos Spraying Videos

Weed Control

If you've had rain then you've more than likely your fair share of weeds. The predominant ones at this time of year are clover, yellow suckling clover, ragwort, plantain, speedwell and self heal with the usual crop of dandelions being thrown in for good measure.

If you haven't done much weed control or if you treated in spring then August and September present another great opportunity for applying weed killer to the whole lawn either by knapsack sprayer or watering can. If you're using a watering can try the sprinkle bar for faster more accurate application.

If you've been diligent with your weed control and only have a few weeds then keep at it with a combination of spot treating individual weeds with a Ready to Use Weed Killer or manually removing them.

See Weed Identification for more detail and control methods.

WARNING: Do not apply weed killer to dry or parched lawns other than as a spot treatment. Always read the label for advice on repeat treatments and safe use.

Watch the Video

Moss Control

With wetter weather approaching as we move into autumn, moss will be making a comeback so consider cultural control methods to control it during this month. Start by raising the mowing height, thinning any trees or plants that are reducing light and also aerating to improve drainage. Next month consider moss treatments with applications of moss killer or raking the moss out if the problem is bad.

Ferrous sulphate is great for grass and very useful as a standalone procedure to control the progress of moss and can be used every 4 to 8 weeks at it's higher permitted rates throughout the cooler months to keep the moss in check. This way you may enter spring with no noticeable moss problem and avoid raking it all out once again! If you prefer a granular alternative then use Winter Green High Iron.

Watch the Video

Watering the Lawn

If you do water this month do it in the mornings to reduce the likelihood of bringing on red thread. If you lawn has been dry and not responding well to watering or you just want to speed the process and save water use a wetting agent as part of the watering process. If strange dry patches or rings remain even after watering see 'Pests and Diseases' below.

Aeration & De-compaction

Autumn is a great time for aeration particularly as the soil will be getting softer as we progress through the autumn season. Once you feel the heat has gone out of the summer and things are definitely getting wetter rather than drier then hollow tining the lawn is the best. This will improve drainage, get oxygen to the roots, stimulate grass growth and reduce surface moisture desired by the moss.

If you've got other lawn aerators they can be used as well - basically the more the merrier.

Watch the Video

Raking & Scarifying

As long as the lawn is neither bone dry nor soft then the conditions should be excellent for raking or scarifying IF IT NEEDS DOING. Some lawns don't need much in the way of scarifying so check for thatch first.

Traditionally August (for Scotland), September (for southern England) and either for pretty much everyone else is the prime scarifying time. This may seem early to some but it is vital that conditions and growth are good so that the lawn recovers well before the winter. If you leave it too late the recovery stops due to the cold!

Finally, don't forget to fertilise and over seed your lawn after raking or scarifying. This is an often neglected part of the renovation process leading to slow recovery with patchy lawns full of weeds and weed grasses. So, use the Autumn Fertiliser and over sow with new grass seed to make your lawns sparkle.

Watch the Video

Repairs & Renovations

Renovation requires water to help the grass repair and recover so only undertake renovation (scarifying, top dressing, seeding, repairs etc) if you can water if conditions are or become dry. Any turfing laid will require regular watering to establish.

Pests & Diseases

The disease to watch out for from May through to late summer is red thread which occurs as humidity levels rise. With rain and therefore humidity this will become active in many lawns. Getting a good dose of fertiliser in is an important part of the treatment but do read the red thread section for more information. Hopefully this is the last month we will see it actively eating our grass and next month will give us greener lawns.

In addition, if your lawn suffers from 'dry patch' or 'fairy rings' then these will become more evident as dead semi-circles or brown patches during the dryer or hotter months. Because these conditions literally prevent water from penetrating the soil they remain 'dead' whilst the rest of the lawn recovers and turns green when milder wetter weather arrives. Watering, spiking, fertiliser and a wetting agent will go a long way to relieving the problem so read the appropriate section in Pests & Diseases.

If your lawn still retains some green colour you may also find the leaves turning a blotchy rusty yellow colour. This is a fungal disease which developes when lawns are under stress from heat and drought. Plenty more info on the rust and mildew page.

By now you should have seen some crane fly (daddy long legs) about. The larvae can cause some serious turf damage so have a read of the crane fly article though unfortunately there is not much you can do if you do have an infestation of grubs as there are now no chemical treatments.

Yellow meadow ants are also still very active, so if hills start forming in or around the lawn you'll need some ant bait stations or ant-stop granules. The granules are brilliant for stopping the ants in their tracks but do be careful with the concentration - more is not necessarily better! The bait stations are best used as a preventative measure after using the granules.

As the weather cools and becomes wetter, worms start to surface and produce muddy casts that cause mowing problems. Worms are beneficial in that they digest organic matter providing nutrients and enriching the soil. They also do some valuable aeration. A lawn with worms is generally far healthier than one without; therefore going around killing them to reduce casting is not a good idea. Fortunately the chemicals that did kill worms are no longer available.

The problem end of the worm is the cast and your lawn may be covered with them anytime soon. Brushing doesn't work when the casts are wet but you can reduce the casting. This can be done with an application of Ferrous Sulphate which is ideal if you are already using it as part of a moss control program. It's not the perfect answer for worm cast reduction but then few products we have tried are. It works by making the lawn surface less palatable for the worm so they surface less or move into the borders. By applying a few weeks before the worms decide to surface you will reduce the casting problem thereby giving a better cut and nicer lawn.

Rolling the lawn

Unlikely to be required until next spring unless you've over sowed with grass seed.

Top Dressing

Top dressing is an advanced lawn care procedure to reduce thatch and smooth the lawn surface. If you are not a lawn nut then I suggest you don't need to bother!

If you are and growth is good, then you should be considering applications from now through September. Combine this with any other lawn renovation procedure you may wish to undertake. See top dressing advice.

The New Lawn

With the potential for wetter months you should soon be able to apply grass seed to prepared ground for your new lawn without it drying too quickly. This month and next are great times for starting a new lawn from seed though do be prepared to water if the weather turns dry.

Thanks for visiting the Lawn Diary

Have a great month