The dry, sunny spells that accompany August can potentially wreck your lawn, making it particularly difficult to care for. From overheating to hosepipe bans, there are numerous reasons your lawn may struggle through the last weeks of summer. However, there are a number of ways you can make this period of time easier for your greenery.
The experts at Lawnsmith have shared a guide for caring for your lawn throughout August, including just when you should go for a mow. They started by highlighting that August care should include regular mowing, fertilising treatments to encourage growth, and raking whenever needed.
When should you mow this month?
When it comes to mowing, the experts advise: “With rainfall and warmer temperatures, lawns are likely growing well again. You should aim to mow weekly, or at least every 10 days if conditions are dry or growth slows.”
It will also be beneficial to keep the blade a little higher, especially if you’ve noticed any red thread or moss creeping in. The higher blade will help reduce any stress on the grass.
How else can you take care of your lawn in August?
It’s important to keep your lawn regularly watered this month, especially if the weather remains dry and there’s a lack of rain. The experts recommend watering early in the morning.
Watering early in the day reduces evaporation and helps minimise the risk of fungal diseases, which can often develop if it’s particualrly warm and humid overnight.
While moss is unlikely to develop until autumn, you can start preparing for this now. The experts say: “Start your defence early by applying ferrous sulphate or a high-iron product like Winter Green every four to eight weeks.
“This not only blackens moss but also strengthens the grass and discourages worm casts too.”
August is also the last chance to apply a good summer fertiliser before autumn begins to set in, so now is the time to reach for a spring/summer slow release fertiliser if you haven’t already.
However if it’s particularly dry you may still want to hold off on this, until there’s a little more moisture and the fertiliser can easily reach the grass’s roots.
You can also spend some time in the next couple of weeks clearing your lawn of any weeds that have popped up since summer set in.