Lawn

The lawn in July

Grass growth slows at this time of year but lawns still need to be mowed on a regular basis but don't attempt it if there is a severe lack of water around. If the weather is very warm use a higher setting for the blades than you would if you were mowing earlier in the summer. This should prevent the lawn from drying out fully when the temperatures are high and it will resist better wear from it being used at this time.

This month is the last month in the growing season when you should apply liquid fertiliser. If you have weeds in your lawn you might like to use one of the soluble 'weed and feed' products available. Always read the instructions on the packaging as some differ in strengths from others. If you have just the odd weed, it may be better to use a paint on weed killer for specific weeds, or just dig each one out

If you wish to water your lawn this time of year, it's vital not to waste water. The RHS recommend that you want a green looking lawn, you should water it once a week and when you do so, you should put an open jam jar on the lawn in the spray and leave the sprinkler long enough to fill the jar up to 13mm. This is the optimum amount of water which needs to be applied in order to not waste water whilst still giving the roots enough to drink.

If all or part of your lawn has been newly laid, more water will be needed on a more frequent basis, especially if the weather is dry and warm.

Brown patches that may appear will recover when the autumn rain arrives. Yellow patches which contain small pink/red strands maybe more of a problem however. This is a fungal disease which affects light soils after heavy rain when the nitrogen content of the soil is washed away. A nitrogen rich fertiliser will generally help the lawn and the damage caused is rarely long lived.

Keep your eyes out for ants infesting the turf. The nests can be brushed out on a dry day prior to the lawn being mown.