Is your lawn is yellow? Don’t panic!

Lawns… they are the beautiful centrepiece of most gardens. While not many of us can compete with the glorious lustre of Wimbledon’s centre court, many avid gardeners enjoy a lush green focal point to their garden.

However, as the summer progresses, lawns can lose their richness and become yellow and patchy, a shadow of their former selves.

But don’t panic, this is all perfectly natural and is probably simply due to the lack of moisture. There are a number of steps you can take to restore your lawn to return it to its former glory.

1 - Watering

A yellow, dry lawn is symptomatic of the lack of moisture. Watering will help to restore it but make sure you do so either first thing in the morning or late at night. It is better to water deeply and infrequently as the moisture needs to penetrate into the roots and not evaporate off the surface. You should always avoid watering your lawn during the day when the sun is at its hottest. Not only will the water evaporate, if the water gets hot, it can scorch your lawn.

2 - Gentle cuts

As the temperature rises, grass goes more slowly and raising the height of your mower will help the lawn cope better with the heat. A slightly longer lawn provides shade to the grass, protecting it against the searing heat and helping to reduce moisture loss. You should also mow your lawn more often, perhaps increasing from every ten days to every five. Increasing the frequency of mowing means removing shorter clippings each time and these can be left on the lawn as mulch to help retain moisture in the ground.

3 - Feed your lawn

A summer lawn fertiliser can strengthen and revitalise your lawn. A granular summer fertiliser can be applied with a spreader to ensure even coverage but any treatment needs to be watered afterwards. If there is no rain forecast, also water your lawn in advance otherwise the nutrients will not be absorbed.

4 - Tackle the weeds

No-one enjoys weeding but it is a necessary evil. Weeds can prosper in the summer and will compete with your grass for water and soil nutrients. So grasp the nettle (quite literally) and remove them, ideally by hand, before they go to seed and spread.

5 - Move children’s outdoor toys

A family lawn can see a lot of action, especially over the summer, and outdoor toys such as paddling pools, trampolines and slides provide hours of fun. But they can damage your lawn, reducing the light to the grass and compacting the ground beneath. Make sure you move the toys around every week to reduce the impact on any one area.

6 - Reseed your lawn

As and when patches appear in your lawn, reseed them. Fast growing grass seeds can be used for a quick repair but you must make sure you keep the seed moist to ensure germination. If you have large patches to tackle, it might be best to wait until the autumn so you can scarify the area and then reseed it.

Above all, don’t worry. Even persistently yellow grass will usually recover once the cooler, wetter weather returns.

For more information on our range of lawn feeds and treatments, go to our website here or speak to one of our experts who will be happy to advise you.