Lawn Care Tips in Summer
Lawn Care Tasks in June
“A weed is a plant that has mastered every survival skill except learning how to grow in rows.” Doug Larsen
Back in April and into May it seemed as if the grass would never grow and in patches left after scarification newly sown seed lay dormant. Then the rains came and the ground warmed up, to be followed by the late May sunshine and hey, away we go with the mowing.
As fast as the grass grows, the weeds will compete, so if you haven’t applied weed killer that’s suitable for the lawn, this is the last summer month in which to do so, the next period being September/October. If you don’t like the idea of using any concentrated synthetic chemicals, you can implement an organic lawn care programme by controlling thatch, using the correct mowing techniques, with a mowing height of 2.5”/63.5mm minimum and making sure the blades are sharp and clean.
When you apply organic fertiliser, look for product with low ratios of nutrients e.g. 15% Nitrogen – 10% Phosphorous – 15% Potassium. By now you will have reduced the cutting height when you mow, according to the growth of the grass, to reach the summer height of cut.
If you find you have a problem with thatch in the lawn, it’s not too late to scarify and collect the debris and if you overseed you will need to water the lawn in dry weather. Give it a really good soaking because light watering will only encourage shallow rooting grass. With a prolonged soak once or twice a week, the grass roots will push down and produce a better top growth, especially if you have aerated the area. Which of course means more frequent mowing.
The opposite will be the case if we go into prolonged drought, which will mean more frequent watering to keep the lawn green, and assuming no hosepipe ban. Again, a really good soak in the morning or evening will be required. In long, dry periods, leaving the collector off the garden tractor and mulching the grass will help protect it from the sun. The clippings returned to the lawn makes efficient use of fertiliser levels by recycling nutrient content in the cut leaf.
Lawn Care Tasks in July
Watering can make all the difference
Less frequent mowing is likely now and it’s good practice to raise the cutting height of the mower or cutting deck on the garden tractor so you don’t cut too short and expose the grass to the harsh sun.
Lawns that are looking a bit thin with weak growth could do with a light dressing of fertiliser. At this time of year you do need to ensure you have the right, low nutrient ratios of Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium. You don’t want more than 10% Nitrogen in the mix. Tomato or rose fertiliser applied evenly make a good tonic for the lawn or you could splash out on a turf conditioner.
To help green up the lawn that’s scorched and patchy, exposing thatch and irrigating heavily and infrequently will help the plant develop a strong root system. Watering once a week to ten days is enough providing it’s thorough. If you use a sprinkler, an area of one square metre/sq. yard needs about 20 litres/4½ gallons of water every seven days. For an average hosepipe sprinkler that means about 12 minutes of sprinkling is sufficient for an area of 9 sq metres or about 95 to 100 sq feet. Use a trowel to lift the turf and dig a small test hole after watering. You want a 10cm/4” depth of water penetration.
The grass plant and soil microbes have a high demand for oxygen at this time so pricking the grass with a garden fork to aerate it is beneficial. If you have a large area you’ll probably want to aerate using an attachment for the garden tractor or a walk behind aerator, but only if the ground is not too hard. Otherwise, wait until there’s been some rain or do it in the autumn.
Mulching the grass with a mulching deck on the garden tractor will leave beneficial grass clippings on the lawn. They will help protect it from the sun and drought while acting as a feed. Weeds in the lawn can be persistent in dry spells. You might wait until September to give the grass a four in one weed and feed treatment or, if there are not too many, you can dig them out with a small hand fork.
Lawn Care Tasks in August
How to be a top dresser
The near drought conditions look like being with us for a good while and the lawn is suffering from the lack of rain. If you decide to water it, you need to do this intensely about once a week, giving it a thorough soaking for about 20 to 30 minutes. That way, the roots will push down deeper and help promote top growth. However, in many instances, it’s not enough to stop the dried outlook and besides, we could be edging towards a hosepipe ban.
The good news is the grass will recover in the autumn, which is also the time when top dressing is traditionally applied. But if your lawn has suffered from hard wear during the summer and has lumps and bumps, it could benefit from top dressing now. You can smooth it out, filling the dips and hollows with a mixture of loam, sharp sand (not builder’s sand) and, preferably, a peat free compost.
The usual ratio is three parts soil, six parts sand and one part compost. Initially, this should be broadcast lightly and evenly over the whole lawn, working it into the base of the sward with the back of a rake or using a lute and finish off with a lawn brush.
Remove it from the lumps and bumps and deposit it into the hollows. Top dressing should be applied lightly and frequently or heavily and infrequently. Mow the lawn short on a dry day and apply the dressing as a dry mix, around 3 to 4 kilos per square metre, leaving 75% of the grass leaf still exposed. If you have an ornamental lawn which is regularly treated, you need about half to one kilo per square metre.
