After a hot, dry summer turned many UK lawns brown, gardeners can now take a simple step to restore green grass. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) explains that while drought can cause top growth to turn brown and die, the roots of a well-established lawn should still be alive and ready to send up fresh leaves once rain returns.
The RHS advises resisting the temptation to water a parched lawn, as it will recover without wasting mains water. During a drought, it is best not to mow the grass often and to water only if absolutely necessary. Now that rain has returned and summer has ended, there are ways to help grass recover and protect it for next year.
Ideal time for lawn repair
As September approaches, it is an "ideal time" to work on the lawn, with the heat and dryness of summer passed for many. The RHS said: "The autumn after a dry summer is the ideal time to carry out renovation and repair. This will help your lawn recover and also make it more drought-resistant the following year."
To do this, gardeners should re-sow any sparsely grassed areas of the lawn. It has been recommended to use a drought-tolerant lawn seed mix as this will better protect the lawn next year.
Steps to sow new seed
Start by raking away any dead grass or moss from the area and removing all weeds. Thinly scatter the drought-tolerant lawn seed. Gardening expert Monty Don said on his blog that you should water it well and keep it damp, and the seeds should germinate and grow within a few days.
While the seeds establish, do not mow the area for at least a month and avoid walking on it. Only once the new lawn is growing very well and strong should you cut it, using shears at first, or leave it uncut until the spring.
