Summer lawn care

Kris keeps his grass in tip-top form by following a good care plan.

Lawns can be the bane of our lives if we let them get the better of us! Everyone loves a nice lawn, it sets the scene of the whole garden - with a good-looking lawn the whole garden can look presentable, even if the beds and border don't exactly bear close scrutiny! If ignored, lawn weeds can take over. And grass can grow too tall if it’s not mown regularly.

However it's not just mowing that keeps our lawns in shape. Regular watering in warm weather along with feeding and weeding will keep the grass in good health. With grass, new growth shoots from the base (unlike broad-leaved plants that shoot at different points along their stems. Therefore regular mowing encourages the grass to grow and bush out - and of course it keeps weeds down, preventing them from competing with the grass for nutrients and water.

Mowing only occasionally will cause weed grasses to take over, spoiling the look of your lawn. Remember too that mowing your lawn too low, risking scuffing the soil surface, will cause the grass to turn brown and die off. This doesn't look pleasant, and exposes the ground leaving it open to invasion. So get your mowing heights under control and water regularly in warm weather. See below for a three-month summer lawn care plan:


Summer lawn care calendar

June
• Mow once or twice a week. The cutting height should be between 1/2 - 1in (1-2.5cm) and in dryer weather it should be increased to 1,5in (3.5cm) to avoid brown patches. Trim lawn edges after each cut.
• If your lawn is looking slightly yellow use a high-nitrogen feed, such as sulphate of ammonia or a summer lawn liquid feed.
• Control any weeds that have survived earlier treatments with a spot treatment such as Verdone Lawn Weedkiller Gun. Rake the lawn before mowing to keep clover runners under control (pictured).
• Water in dry weather (if the soil looks dry and baked); early mornings or evenings are best to avoid scorching.

July
• Mowing should be done regularly now. If you are going on holiday for more than a week try and get someone to mow it in your absence. This will avoid weeds taking over the lawn.
• Water your lawn regularly if rain is scarce. If the soil is dry, try pricking it with a garden fork or aerator to help the water seep below the soil’s surface.
• If weeds do appear, kill them with the same spot treatment as June; lawn weeds should never be ignored.

August
• Continue to mow. However, if your grass has been allowed to grow too long then don’t cut it too low. Treat it as if it is the first cut of the season: the blades should at a height of 1,25in (3cm) then reduce the height to 1in (2.5cm) before the next cut. Thereafter cut as normal.
• This is the last month for feeding your lawn with a high-nitrogen feed (pictured).
• Spot kill pesky weeds.
• Later in the month you can begin to sow seed for a new lawn, if the ground isn’t too dry.

Composting grass clippings

Grass clippings can be added to compost heaps, but this is best done in small layers throughout the heap. Or you can keep the clipping in plastic bags with holes in - you can mix the final rotted matter with leaf mould to make a high-nitrogen compost.
If you applied weedkiller to your lawn, discard the clippings from the first cut to avoid chemical residue carrying into the compost and next year ruining other parts of your garden.