WE all love the warm days that come with the summer months and making the most of it by relaxing in our gardens.
But we all know that too much hot weather can make our lawns look brown and brittle, ruining the scenery for those relaxing days.
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And with another heatwave on the horizon in some places in the UK, you’ll want to get your lawn prepped so it can withstand the weather.
Lawns are especially prone to getting damaged in the sun, as they’re one of the most exposed parts of the garden.
But one expert says you can help to prevent wilting and browning this month by carrying out one important job this month.
Landscaping expert at Wenningdale Escapes, John Marshall, has issued a warning to anyone with a lawn.
The gardening pro says that heat stress from the hot sun could hugely damage the look of your garden.
Yours might already be damaged from the previous heatwave, and with another potentially coming soon, it’s vital to take action and eliminate any issues.
He explained: “As we enter August and the weather continues to improve, your grass will become more susceptible to heat stress.
“The signs you are looking for to identify this would include wilting or brown patches of grass, leaf burn, and visible footprints within the grass.”
John reveals that the most important thing that all gardeners should do in August is keep on top of the lawn watering.
However, simple as it might sound, there’s a right and wrong way to do it.
He recommends ‘lots of water, but at early and late increments in the day when it’s cooler’.
That’s because watering the lawn when the sun is at it’s highest can prevent the water from reaching into the soil properly.
Your grass will be much more hydrated with this technique, which should hopefully mean no brown or wilting patches this summer.
The gardening whizz also urged gardeners not to mow their lawns too often this month, and increase the cutting height if possible.
Very short grass is more exposed to the sun, so it’s more likely to become damaged when the UV rays are strong, as they can stress out the plant and the soil too.
Gardening tips and hacks
If your lawn is just prone to getting stressed, then John has a solution.
He said: “Using seaweed in the grass can help reduce the likelihood of stress and disease.”
Seaweed can help boost health, goodness and biological activity in your grass, and it’ll also make the soil grow a stronger and greener lawn that is less susceptible to disease.
You can buy liquid seaweed fertilisers from your local garden centre, or it’s available to order online too.
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