11:01 - 30 July 2010
Almost every garden has at least one area of lawn. For many gardens the lawn forms the very heart of the garden and for some gardeners it is their pride and joy. The lawn can draw all the elements of the garden design together, so it is an important element of the garden. In the summer lawns are very susceptible to the vagaries of the weather, but you can nurture your lawn through this difficult time. When the lawn looks good the whole garden looks great. The quickest way to create a good garden impression is to sort out your lawn, so next time you get a call from someone wanting to visit you in your garden and you are short of time, give the lawn a quick spruce up and it will make all the difference.
Damage Limitation
Grass plants are very shallow rooted and so a short spell of hot weather can quickly take its toll. In hot weather the top layer of soil quickly dries out and the roots of the grass cannot reach down to moisture. Unless your lawn is newly laid turf or recently sown from seed it is very unlikely to die. Even if it goes completely brown, the crowns of each plant will rejuvenate very quickly into new growth as soon as it rains and your lawn should recover. Watering the lawn may create instant visual results but is often unnecessary and can create problems. Unless you can be sure to thoroughly soak a dry lawn it is actually better not to water it at all. A well-prepared lawn that has been properly fed and treated during the spring is better able to withstand and recover from drought. Postpone any lawn treatments until the weather has cooled and make a note to treat your lawn to a tonic in the autumn so that it is better equipped to survive the winter ahead. When the weather is dry, grass growth will slow, so it’s better to just allow the lawn to rest and if you must cut it simply trim off the top third of growth.
New Lawns
Keep newly sown lawns and freshly turfed areas well watered in dry spells. It is far more effective to water the lawn thoroughly once or twice a week than to wet it superficially on a daily basis. Water at dusk and really soak the area so that the water filters through to the soil around the roots, this encourages deeper roots to develop and reduces the likelihood of surface roots forming that may be susceptible to extremes of temperature.
Growing Well
In a wet and warm summer the lawn will be growing vigorously, so it needs to be cut as often as you can manage.
Simply adjust how regularly you mow according to how fast the grass is growing. If the conditions are ideal for growth, i.e. warm, moist and sunny then you may need to cut a quality lawn 2-3 times a week to keep it looking good. If you can’t cut it as often as this then don’t be tempted to scalp it when you do mow. Cutting the lawn very short will cause undue stress, weaken the grass plants and allow invading weeds and moss to take over, especially in hot weather. If your lawn is cut infrequently then cut it to about 7.5cm (3inches), so that it retains its fresh and healthy appearance.
The finishing touch
Keep you lawn looking neat and tidy by re-cutting the lawn edges with a half moon edging iron. Trim the lawn edges every week using lawn-edging shears to give a neat finish. Cut long grass around trees and along the base of fences and walls using a nylon line trimmer. Take care not to damage neighbouring trees, shrubs or wildlife when you are trimming grass.
