Is your lawn looking a little discoloured? Maybe there are a few bald spots showing up? @gardenwithjonny shares his ultimate guide to Summer and Autumn lawn care.
Maintaining a lush, green lawn requires dedication and the right techniques, especially during the Summer and Autumn months with the ever-changing temperatures.
Here, Jonny Hincks, from @gardenwithjonny, shares his expert lawn care advice:
Summer Lawn Care
During the summer, your lawn can become stressed due to heat and dry conditions, so proper watering is key.
The best time to water is early in the morning when it’s cooler. This reduces evaporation and allows the grass to dry during the day, helping to prevent fungal diseases like Red Thread and Leaf Spot.
I recommend using the Hozelock Rectangular Sprinkler Aquasave Pro 220M for about 20 minutes to give the grass a good soak.
Consider using a rain barrel to collect and store rainwater for irrigation. This is environmentally friendly and cost-effective during dry spells.
Regular mowing is essential to keep your lawn healthy, but during summer, it’s important to keep the grass a bit longer than usual, aiming for around 2.5 to 4 cm. Longer grass provides shade to the soil, reducing water loss and protecting the roots from the sun’s heat.
Mow your lawn around once a week but avoid cutting more than a third of the grass height at a time. This prevents stress and keeps the lawn dense and healthy. Make sure your mower blades are sharp to avoid tearing the grass, which can cause dry patches, pests, and fungi.
Using summer-specific fertiliser can help your lawn stay green and healthy. An all-purpose fertiliser can also give great results. If opting for a seasonal fertiliser, apply a slow-release nitrogen fertiliser at the start and end of summer. This helps maintain steady growth and provides essential nutrients over an extended period. Ensure that the fertiliser you use is suited to summer conditions, supporting strong growth and resilience against heat and drought.
Managing weeds and pests is crucial for a healthy lawn. Hand-pulling weeds is often the best method during summer to avoid stressing the grass. Make sure you remove the entire root to prevent regrowth, and regularly check for signs of pests, addressing any infestation quickly.
Autumn Lawn Care
As autumn arrives and the weather gets cooler, your lawn’s needs will change.
This is a great time to prepare your lawn for the winter months and ensure it emerges healthy in the spring.
Scarifying helps remove thatch, moss, and dead grass from your lawn, improving air circulation and allowing water and nutrients to penetrate the soil more effectively.
Use a lawn scarifier in early autumn to rake out the thatch layer when the grass is still growing, allowing the lawn to recover before winter.
Next, move on to aeration. Aerating the lawn involves creating small holes in the soil to alleviate compaction, improving root growth and enhancing water and nutrient intake.
There are various methods you can use, from a garden fork to a mechanical aerator, to create holes across the lawn. Ideally, do this when the soil is moist but not waterlogged. I tend to complete these lawn care activities in September.
You can switch to an autumn fertiliser high in potassium to help strengthen the grass and prepare it for winter. This type of fertiliser boosts root growth and increases the grass’s resistance to disease and cold. Apply the fertiliser in late September or early October. However, an all-purpose fertiliser will also suffice for autumn lawn care.
Autumn is also the perfect time to put fresh seed down on your lawn, as the ground is suitably saturated but still warm from the summer. Choose a seed mix suitable for your lawn conditions, such as shade-tolerant or high-traffic varieties. Make sure you’ve scarified and aerated before putting any fresh seed down to ensure good soil contact and give the seeds the best chance of germination.
Throughout autumn and winter, keep the lawn clear of fallen leaves and other debris to prevent them from smothering the grass. Regular raking can help maintain good air circulation and prevent moss growth.
