Summer Lawn Care
In summer, when temperatures, evaporation and transpiration are at their highest the aim is to conserve moisture and damage the grass as little as possible. This means invasive treatments such as raking and scarifying should not be undertaken whilst repair to damaged areas from summer use should be swift to reduce deterioration in the lawn.
Feeding the Lawn in Summer
Using the correct fertiliser goes a long way to reducing the effects of stressful summer conditions. This means a summer fertiliser should contain a good amount of potassium, the K in NPK which is the element that helps the grass regulate water loss. The nitrogen, N in NPK will stimulate growth to enable it to repair itself from heavier use during the summer months.
For more information about summer feeding please see:
Flexible Feeding for the Perfect Lawn
Weed Control
Most weed killers state to use once or twice per annum and if you are using pesticides sensibly you should want to regulate the amount going into the ground. Late May or early June is the perfect time for the first blanket (spraying the whole lawn) weed spray. This is because early spring weeds are still about and summer weeds such as clover have come through.
If there are only a few weeds around just spot spray. For more information go to our Weed Control section
Aeration
You can never do too much so carry on with solid spikes during the summer months. If the ground gets hard don’t force the spikes into the ground because you’ll either hurt yourself or damage the equipment. Instead, just let it pin prick the surface which, when it rains, will reduce run-off and direct the rain into the ground.
Mowing the Lawn in Summer
Keep mowing regularly to keep weed and weed grass seed heads in check but raise the mowing height. This reduces the amount of leaf being removed which contains water whilst protecting the soil a little more from the sun.
See Mowing the Lawn
Watering the Lawn
You do need to get this right as watering incorrectly can cause disease and shallow rooting which then can make your lawn more prone to weeds and weed grasses so best move straight to our Watering Advice page.
Lawn Pest Control
Ants and miner bees are likely to be the main problem in summer so please read Ants & Bees
Top Dressing the Lawn
This can be done in the summer but not in hot or drought conditions. The lawn needs to be actively growing with good soil moisture available. See Soil & Lawn Top Dressing
Lawn Repairs
If you need to do any repairs please go to our Repair & Renovation section.
Brown Summer Lawns
If you don't water and maintain your lawn during hot dry summers eventually it will turn brown and become dormant. Lawns that are not compacted will usually recover well but if your lawn is getting on in years, used a lot and has thatch and or compaction you may find recovery may be patchy at best leaving you with areas of dead lawn.
Please read Repairing Burnt Summer Lawns
A Selection of Products for Summer Lawn Care
More Seasonal Lawn Care Tips & Problems
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![Leaves on the Lawn]()
Seasonal Lawn Care Tips & ProblemsLeaf fall can kill grass, cause lawn diseases, increase moss and worm casts. Clear the leaves frequently before they harm your lawn
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![Using Winter & Iron Lawn Fertilisers]()
Seasonal Lawn Care Tips & ProblemsWinter lawns can look pretty awful but don’t need to be. With a little knowledge and planning you can have a fantastic lawn all year round.
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![Frost, Freezing and Snow]()
Seasonal Lawn Care Tips & ProblemsDuring winter take care in frost conditions or when snow is heavy as you can damage the grass and cause a snow mould attack
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![Winter Grass & Lawn Poblems]()
Seasonal Lawn Care Tips & ProblemsPrevention is better than cure but if your winter lawn care falls short then here are the ways to improve a poorly winter lawn
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![Winter Lawn Damage]()
During winter several things can go wrong with your lawn from grass thinning a little, complete loss of grass in some areas to an invasion of moss and strange coloured patches in the lawn.
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![Early Spring Lawn Care Treatments]()
Seasonal Lawn Care Tips & ProblemsSpring is a busy time for lawns and gardens as plants and grass start growing. We’ll cover everything that is needed starting with early spring.
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![Spring Lawn Repair]()
After a dismal winter your lawn can be in a terrible state. Help is at hand here!
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![May 2019 Lawn Diary]()
Seasonal Lawn Care Tips & ProblemsBy end of April and into May the lawn should be growing well so you can complete your lawn care and grass maintenance plans for the spring ready for the summer.
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![Flooded Lawns]()
Seasonal Lawn Care Tips & ProblemsHow to repair your lawn if it gets flooded or just becomes water logged from excessive rainfall
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![How to Stop my Lawn Drying Out]()
If your lawn dries and the grass turns brown in summer then improving lawn care and using a wetting agent can reduce the severity or stop it completely.
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![Improving Drought Tolerance in Lawns]()
With the right preparation you can affect how long your lawn stays green during dry conditions. See how to retain the green in your grass in summer for longer.
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![My Lawn is Dry]()
Seasonal Lawn Care Tips & ProblemsGrass in a healthy lawn is very resilient and can survive short periods of drought but after that things can deteriorate rapidly so learn how to drought proof your lawn.
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![Is my Grass Dead or Dormant?]()
Seasonal Lawn Care Tips & ProblemsWhichever it is the chances are the grass turns a straw brown colour. Other than that, there is visually little difference in the lawn so try some simple tests.
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![How to Revive a Hard Dry Lawn]()
Seasonal Lawn Care Tips & ProblemsThe process can be as simple as just adding water but the benefits of the following watering program have proven to speed and improve the recovery whilst saving time and water
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![Repairing Burnt Summer Lawns]()
How to revive and repair burnt summer lawns and grass after a long period with little or no rain
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![When to use a Wetting Agent on the Lawn]()
Seasonal Lawn Care Tips & ProblemsWetting agents improve rain and water uptake in the lawn. It helps water to penetrate and spread, improving availability to the grass and reducing total water usage.
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![Autumn Lawn Care]()
Seasonal Lawn Care Tips & ProblemsAs autumn approaches the weather starts cooling and getting wetter; the ideal time for feeding and weeding plus any maintenance and repairs before winter.
