Hasn’t this warm period lovely, but the recent rains have refreshed our lawns, with many recovering after the scorching heat
Lawns, that are properly cared for during the year, combined with regular mowing, will retain their good looks for longer during a drought and recover quicker. A drought stressed lawn may become weakened leaving it more susceptible to disease problems, insect damage and weed invasion. Our feeding and weed programmes during the summer months are the ideal combination to see the lawn through until the welcome rains.
Our 3 lawn mowing tips:
- Raise the height of cut in dry weather, to avoid weakening the grasses, we recommend an ideal height to be no shorter than 5-7cm. Why – We are seeing may lawns that are cut too short and this is adding to the grass plant stress, compounding the lawns ability to cope with the hot conditions.
Let the clippings fall back onto the lawn rather than collecting them. If you have a mulching mower this would be perfect. Why – the clippings will act as mulch and slow down, the evaporation of water from the soil surface. Make sure the clippings are small, or they will smother the grass and cause damage. A light topping of the grass will be better than a severe “hacking”. Raise the cut height. Why – This helps to reduce the temperature within the root zone, protecting the grass plants, a little like sun cream does for our skin.- Finally, keep an eye out for fungal disease called Red Thread – if you have any doubts drop us a line and we can help.
Below are some pictures of our front and back lawns virtually fully recovered after the recent rain, Our key to success was keeping the cut higher and reducing cut frequency before the hot dry weather took effect.