Keeping a lawn green can be a struggle once the weather heats up, but there is a simple way to keep it hydrated and healthy. Grass can quickly become yellow and patchy as it dries out at this time of year, but Trent Lewis, a gardening expert from Get Sunday, has shared that the biggest mistake gardeners make is fertilising at the wrong time.
Trent explained: “Your lawn needs nutrients to survive. Before you reach for the fertiliser, though, think again; grass needs to take in a lot of energy to grow, and growing grass mid-summer could definitely stress your lawn out way more than it can handle.”
While fertilising your lawn might seem logical to promote thicker growth, most fertilisers contain salts and other compounds that can actually draw moisture out of the grass.
During hot weather, when soil moisture is already low, your lawn may be unable to protect itself.
Instead of becoming greener, the grass may suffer from fertiliser burn, leading to increased stress, discolouration, and making it more difficult for a lawn to recover.
It tends to be better to fertilise lawns only until May in spring to prepare them for the summer heat, and then again in September to prepare them for winter.
If you really need to feed a lawn in June, make sure to use a slow-release fertiliser and wait for a rainy day when the temperature is cooler to reduce the risk of the grass burning.
However, there is a very simple way to keep your lawn looking green and lush in June and all you need to do is water it at the right time.
Trent said: “Water your lawn between 6am and 10am. Any later and the water will evaporate before it gets absorbed by the soil or reaches the roots”.
It is usually much cooler in the early morning, so watering your lawn at this time will help the grass stay hydrated and prevent moisture loss due to the hot afternoon sun.
Water the lawn deeply at least once a week, but increase it to two or three times during particularly hot weather.
If any part of the lawn begins to turn yellow or thin out, avoid walking on that area or placing heavy objects such as deck chairs or barbecues on it, to give the grass time to recover.
When you avoid fertilising the lawn and water it properly in June, it should stay emerald green throughout the hot summer months and remain vibrant well into autumn.
