August 2024 Lawn Diary

This Month in a Nutshell

What a disappointing July! Hopefully, August will bring improved weather! Although the rainfall keeps your grass watered, it will have leached out nutrients and fertiliser from the soil by this stage. So, it’s worth considering giving your lawn a top-up with a soluble feed early in the month or a late summer granular feed.

Some guidance on feeding your lawn in summer below:

• Best Lawn Food for Summer
• How to Use Liquid Lawn Food

Fortunately, we are expecting more settled weather in the coming weeks, with plenty of warm temperatures and dry spells. While these conditions will be welcome, the combination of the upcoming warm, dry weather and the wet conditions we experienced in July will increase the likelihood of Red Thread developing on your lawn. So, be sure to keep an eye out for it.

See our Pest & Disease section for more guidance on what to keep an eye out for, and how to stop them from overtaking your garden!

Summary ‘to do’ list for August:

• Keep ‘Red Thread’ under control
• Fertilising
• Weed Control
• Raking and scarifying
• Over-seeding damaged areas of the lawn

The Weather

Being the optimistic person that I am, I’m hoping for better weather in the coming weeks, and from what we can see on the forecast – things are looking to be brightening up as we move into August!

August long-range forecast courtesy of the Met Office.

23rd July to 1st August: A longer-lived and more widespread spell of dry and sunny weather may develop for a time during the middle part of next week, particularly across southern parts of the UK, where conditions may turn very warm for a time.

Otherwise, changeable weather patterns, similar to those that have dominated July so far, seem likely to continue for the rest of the month. Showers and occasional spells of more persistent rain are likely to affect all regions at times.

However, some drier and brighter interludes are also expected, these most likely in southern and eastern regions. The most frequent wet weather spells are most likely across northern and western areas. Temperatures are mostly close to average for a time, with any warmer spells generally short-lived.

2nd to 16th August: Through this period, there remains a slightly increased chance of more settled spells of weather developing at times, particularly in the south. However, there is still a substantial chance of other weather types, too, with more changeable periods also likely. Throughout the period, you are more likely to see conditions that are drier than average as opposed to conditions being wetter than average – meaning it’s more likely you will get sunshine rather than rain. Warmer-than-average conditions are also weakly favoured overall, with a slightly enhanced likelihood of short-lived hot spells.

What's New?

Our Lawn Care Problems section has dozens of articles to help you care for your lawn. They answer many of the most common and not-so-common questions and problems you ask us on a day-to-day basis. Here are the latest articles updated 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

Mowing the Lawn

If you have good moisture levels, the grass growth should be at or near its best, so mow weekly. If wet weather causes a resurgence of moss, raise the mowing height by at least one or 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 advice on 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 your mower a good brush, scrape or hose down after every use. Secondly, if you do a lot of mowing, 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 make it look a lot better and 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 had 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 last treated the lawn in spring - August and September present another great opportunity for applying weed killer to the whole lawn, either by knapsack sprayer or watering can. Try the sprinkle bar for faster, more accurate application if you’re using a watering can.

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 details 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 some wetter weather likely 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 trees or plants that reduce light, and aerating the lawn 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 excellent for grass and very useful as a standalone procedure to control the progress of moss. It can be used every 4 to 8 weeks at higher permitted application rates throughout the cooler months to keep the moss in check. This way, you may enter next 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 your lawn has been dry and not responding well to watering, or if you just want to speed up 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

August is a great time for aeration, particularly as the soil gets softer as we progress closer to autumn. Once you feel the heat has gone out of the summer and things are getting wetter rather than drier, then hollow tining the lawn is the best option. 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 also be used - basically, the more the merrier to get the job done!

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, but only IF IT NEEDS DOING. Some lawns don’t need much 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 sets in. 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, leading to a 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 it afterwards. Watering is only advised if conditions are or are due to dry in the days that follow. Any turfing laid will require regular watering to establish, but rain can do this work for you if you time it well.

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 continuing for the early part of August, red thread will become more 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 on this. Using fertiliser correctly in August will hold pests away from our grass, so we will have greener, healthier lawns next month.

Dealing with ‘dry patch’ or ‘fairy rings’

In addition, if your lawn suffers from ‘dry patch’ or ‘fairy rings’,these will become more evident, such 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 retains some green colour, you may also find the leaves turning a blotchy rusty yellow colour. This fungal disease develops 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. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do if you have an infestation of grubs, as there are now no chemical treatments.

Keep an eye out for ants

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 be careful with concentration - more is not necessarily better! The bait stations are best used as a preventative measure after using the granules.

Worm casts will likely be a common sight

As the weather cools and becomes wetter, worms start to surface, producing muddy casts that cause mowing problems. Worms are beneficial in that they digest organic matter, provide nutrients, and enrich the soil. They also do some valuable aeration. A lawn with worms is generally far healthier than one without; therefore, killing them to reduce casting is not a good idea. Fortunately, the chemicals that killed 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 a few products we have tried are. It works by making the lawn surface less palatable for the worms so they surface less or move into the borders. Applying a few weeks before the worms decide to surface 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 that reduces thatch and smoothens the lawn’s surface. If you are not a lawn nut, then I suggest you don’t 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 you should be prepared to water it if the weather turns dry out.

Thanks for visiting the Lawn Diary

Have a great month