Summer is the time of year to truly embrace the outdoors and soak up the sunshine while it lasts, which means plenty of time spent in the garden.
It’s during the warmer months when gardens come into their prime, with colourful flower displays, fruiting crops and an abundance of wildlife, but keeping your grass looking in tip-top condition can be tricky. Hot weather can cause grass to become stressed which results in brown patches developing and a lack of growth, especially when there’s been little rain.
But according to gardening experts, three essential steps can help ensure your grass grows back thicker, greener and healthier, so it stays looking luscious throughout the summer.
The first step to achieving a healthier, greener lawn is to regularly mow your lawn – around once or twice a week – as this encourages grass to grow and helps to stop weeds developing and stealing all the nutrients.
The second step is to avoid cutting your lawn too short by adjusting the height of your lawnmower blades. This helps to reduce stress on your lawn and allows the blades of grass to retain more moisture, helping it to stay green and healthy.
The Turf Doctor explains: “Regularly mowing your lawn helps make the grass greener and thicker. You might have heard that getting your hair trimmed regularly helps it to grow faster, and the same goes for the grass on your lawn!
“Regular mowing encourages grass to grow thicker and greener through a process known as the “stimulation effect.” When you mow your lawn consistently and at a decent height, you remove the top portion of the grass blades, which prompts the grass to respond by producing new shoots and leaves.
“This stimulates lateral growth, promoting a denser turf as the grass plant works to compensate for the loss of leaf on top. Plus, regular mowing has the additional benefit of preventing weeds from developing, so your grass gets a greater share of all the good stuff: available sunlight, nutrients, and water. It can allocate more resources to growth, leading to a thicker and healthier lawn with a lush green appearance.”
The third essential step to a healthier looking lawn is to water your lawn as this encourages the roots to grow deeper into the soil, making your grass more drought tolerant, and helps grass to absorb nutrients more effectively.
There are currently several hosepipe bans currently in place in the UK imposed by Thames Water, Southeast Water, Yorkshire Water and Southern Water, but households can use other means to prevent their lawn from drying out, like using grey water instead. This comes from non-toilet plumbing systems like your bath, shower, sink, and even the water you boil vegetables in.
Experts at East River Nursery explain: “The next time you boil pasta or steam some vegetables in your kitchen, instead of pouring the water down the drain, use it in your garden or in your house to keep your plants green and flourishing.
“You can also use water from boiling eggs, which is full of calcium your plant needs to grow. This method of watering your plants works because it acts like a fertiliser to give your plants the nutrition they need to survive.”
They add: “There are many advantages to using cooking water to feed your plants. Not only is it cost effective and resourceful, the fertiliser it provides for your plants gives them a more stable and steady growth period. The water will help promote natural nutrient storage within the soil.
“This means you will not have to fertilise your plants or garden as often providing longevity for your soil. It will also help your soil retain more moisture, therefore reducing the amount of times you will need to water.”