After weeks of punishing sunshine and drought conditions, rain has finally returned to large parts of the UK, with more forecast in the coming days. The prolonged dry spell has left many lawns brown, crunchy, yellow and patchy, but garden experts say there is still time to bring them back to life before autumn.
Rain brings opportunity for recovery
Chris McIlroy, lawn expert from The Grass People, explains that grass may not be dead but merely dormant. “Your grass might not be dead, only in a state of dormancy, so with the right treatment and some rain, it could be as good as new by autumn,” he says.
“Grass is resilient, and browning caused by recent heatwaves still has a chance to bounce back. With showers in the forecast, natural rainwater will not only give your lawn much-needed hydration, but it will also provide it with the nutrients needed to give it a boost.”
Hold off on fertiliser until September
McIlroy advises gardeners to make use of fertiliser in September, but not while the grass is dry—only after rains have soaked in. He stresses that applying fertilisers and weed killers when the grass is still dry will only make scorching worse and have little effect on greening and growth.
“Give the grass time to soak up the rain and allow it to get out of dormancy and to get growing again,” he says. “If you notice patches that don’t recover, there will be time in the autumn to intervene with an overseed, patch repair and a strong feeding programme.”
In the meantime, he recommends removing weeds by hand and clearing the area of any debris left since the summer. “Remember, when you are stocking up on lawn feed, get a nitrogen-rich autumn feed in time for September renovations,” he adds.
