During August raise the blades on your lawnmower before cutting fine lawns. This will help reduce drought stress.
Mow lightly and frequently so that short grass clippings can remain on the lawn during hot days to act as a moisture-retentive mulch. Excess thatch can be scarified out during autumn maintenance next month. Mulching lawn mowers cut the clippings even finer than normal rotary blades, making the mulch less visible.
If your lawn is on thin soil it may benefit from a high phosphate feed. This will strengthen the roots for winter, rather than encouraging lush top growth that could suffer in the cold and weaken the grass.
Avoid using lawn weedkillers in late summer – they will be more effective in the cooler, damper autumn weather.
Dig over any areas due to be grassed over later in the year. Leave them for a few weeks to allow weeds to re-emerge, and then spray with a weedkiller or hoe off to ensure thorough weed clearance before seeding or laying turf in the autumn.
Summer meadows may need mowing now if they have past their season of interest, especially in areas of the country where autumn comes earlier. In warmer parts of the UK, spring and early summer meadows that have extended their period of interest well into the summer could be cut now if not done already.
Do get in touch by emailing us or calling us on 01403 700743 with any questions about Lawn Mowers, Ride-On Lawn Mowers and Tractors or any aspect of garden machinery, garden tractor or lawnmower sales, repairs or service.
Lawn advice courtesy of The Royal Horticultural Society www.rhs.org.uk
