Weather patterns are undoubtedly more unpredictable. We’re contending with more extreme temperatures and weather events, all of which place great pressure on your lawn’s ability to cope.
The good news is there are ways to manage the impacts of warm dry weather when it comes to your lawn.
The first thing to remember is that your grass needs moisture and nutrition to maintain its vigour and thrive. If it’s missed out on either of these then treating it will pay dividends, whatever the temperature is in your part of the world.
But larger lawns take a lot of water, and the rain may not be forthcoming. This is where wetting agents come in.
Use a wetting agent
Wetting agents are one of the most practical, useful and sensible treatments to apply to dry lawns. Not only do they help your soil hold onto water, but they also reduce the amount of water you need to use over the summer.
Wetting agents like Abzorb are a surfactant, that is they improve water penetration by decreasing the surface tension of water – increasing its ability to spread and penetrate the soil, so benefitting the roots of grass. Find out more about wetting agents in our guide.
If you don’t use a wetting agent, summer rain may just run off and have little or no effect in the root system. Abzorb will hold water in the root zone by increasing the humic content of the soil, leading to a healthier soil structure.
Always apply wetting agents before watering or before rain is due.
Use drought-tolerant seed
The next step to take in helping your summer lawn to thrive is to seed with a drought-tolerant grass seed – for a long-lasting resilient lawn.
Whether you’re over seeding, reseeding a bare or sparse patch of grass, or starting from scratch, drought tolerant seed will help ensure you have a robust lawn that will flourish even in very dry weather.
Formulated to be more tolerant to drought conditions, this specialist seed consists of various varieties of highly water-efficient seed. If you live in dryer parts of the UK or your lawn is on lighter sandy soil, you will benefit from using drought-tolerant grass seed.
Use a phased-release fertiliser
When the weather is hot and dry, standard uncoated high-nitrogen fertilisers can scorch the grass. To avoid this, choose a coated phased release fertiliser like Nutrigrow 18-3.5-8+1Mg.
This slower release fertiliser will discharge its active ingredients over a 12-16 week period, avoiding sudden rapid growth and grass scorching which can impair the look of your lawn.
All of these products – wetting agent, drought tolerant grass seed, and phased release fertiliser – can be used at the same time.
Apply them in this order:
1. Phased-release fertiliser.
2. Drought-tolerant seed.
3. Abzorb wetting agent.
4. Water.
If you are treating specific dry patch problems, use Abzorb followed by water. Then wait ten days and repeat the application of all products in the order above (using Abzorb again).
You can use Abzorb once a month during the dry summer months, or more frequently in periods of extreme drought.
Phased release fertiliser should only need to be used once in summer, though a repeat application in extended hot weather may be needed three months after first application.
Find out more about lawn drought in our guide here.
