With the weather we’ve been having recently in the UK, your lawn might be looking a bit worse for wear at the moment.
Chances are your grass has had more foot traffic than usual over the previous few months. And with the extremely dry weather we’ve been having lately, it could be that your lawn is in need of some TLC.
In this article, we’ve explained some steps you can take to repair your lawn if it’s not looking great at the moment.
1. Get on top of weeds
Summer is prime weed season, and if your lawn is a bit patchy or dry, this makes it even easier for weeds to take hold.
We recommend using Evergreen Weedol Lawn Weed Killer, which we sell here at Gordale Garden Centre, especially if you have a major weed issue. It comes as a handy spray that you can use to target individual weeds, without killing the grass around them.
Just remember, once you get rid of the weeds, you’ll want to help your lawn to grow healthier and stronger, using the methods we’ve explained below, to prevent the weeds from ever coming back again.
2. Scarify your lawn
Now that you’ve cleared the weeds from your lawn, doing a scarification is a very good idea, especially if you have more than half an inch of thatch.
Thatch is the layer of dead organic matter than sits around the grass stems. It’s normal to have some thatch, but if there’s more than half an inch, this can block air and moisture from reaching your lawn’s roots. This might be part of the reason why your lawn is looking so dry at the moment, other than the warm weather.
You can use a rake to clear away thatch, but it’s much easier to rent a proper scarification machine if possible. This will reduce the amount of effort you have to exert, and also allow you to do a more thorough job, and pull up more thatch.
The problem with scarifying is it’ll make your lawn look quite bad for a month or so. Therefore, you might want to wait and do it when you’re finished using your lawn for the summer.
3. Feed your lawn
Another way to repair your lawn and make it healthier is to feed it, especially if you haven’t done so in a while.
Just like any living being, your lawn needs nutrients. If you haven’t been giving it any food, such as mulched grass clippings, then it’s a good idea to apply a product like Phostrogen® Organic Lawn Food.
The great thing about this particular feed is it’s very long-lasting – it releases nutrients very slowly, so you only need to apply it a few times a year. If your lawn isn’t looking good at the moment, it’s a great product to use to revitalise the grass.
4. Mow your lawn more regularly
Believe it or not, your lawn actually prefers being mown more regularly. If your grass isn’t growing very fast or is losing its colour, trimming more regularly can help to revitalise it and repair your lawn over time.
The trick is to never take off any more than a third of the height of the grass with each cut. If you do so, you can easily stress out the grass, resulting in poor growth.
If you don’t mind spending the extra time, try mowing your lawn every few days for a week or so, only taking off about a quarter of its height each time, or a third if the grass is very long already.
5. Overseed your lawn
Sometimes, if your lawn is very sparse, you’ll need to add more grass seeds to help fix this – simply feeding your lawn and encouraging growth won’t be enough.
You can either overseed the entire lawn or target bare patches, using a product like Johnsons Lawn Seed. There are a few different types of this seed mix to choose from – in general, you want to match the seed to the type of grass you already have. Or you might like to choose a type of grass for other characteristics, such as its hardiness, or how it looks.
You can then spread the seeds by hand, or use a lawn spreader to make the process more efficient over large areas, following the packet instructions to determine seed density. Then, give them a good soaking, and water the grass every day (if you’re not under a hosepipe ban) until the seeds have fully grown.
Remember, the secret to have a great-looking lawn is to take good care of it. This doesn’t mean spending hours every day maintaining your grass – it just means to ensure that your lawn is getting the nutrients, air, and moisture it needs to grow nice and strong. By following the five tips we’ve explained in this article, you’ll be able to make your lawn look nice and green again in no time at all.
In collaboration with Lawn Care Pro, part of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.