Lawn specialist Daniel Hibbert has suggested that gardeners facing hosepipe bans could still help their grass stay in good condition by using a wetting agent. The product is designed to help water penetrate turf more effectively, so rainfall is not lost to run-off or surface pooling.
In a video posted to his YouTube channel, Hibbert said while examining a customer's lawn last month: "All this lawn is lacking is water and we're going to take advantage of that rain that's due. We're going to add something called a wetting agent."
When rain does arrive, the treatment allows moisture to soak into the soil, making any precipitation more effective in helping the grass recover and regrow.
How wetting agents work
Grass specialist Jonathan Davis, from Lawnsmith, also highlighted the benefits of the approach. He said: "A wetting agent is a chemical that reduces surface tension of water. When applied to soil, it helps rain and water penetrate the turf and spread more efficiently."
The guidance comes as large parts of the UK face one of the driest Julys in years. Hosepipe bans have been introduced across the country, and weeks of minimal rainfall have caused problems for farmers and raised concerns among scientists.
Met Office: 'Extraordinary' conditions
The Met Office described the conditions as "extraordinary". Scientist Dr Emily Carlisle said: "The headline story for July is undoubtedly the rainfall. Across parts of England and Wales we've seen extraordinarily low totals, with some locations recording little or no meaningful rainfall for much of the month."
Provisional figures suggest this could be one of the driest Julys in nearly two centuries of records, which is particularly notable when coupled with the exceptional heat experienced so far this summer.
Showers and thunderstorms expected
Some relief could be on the way, however. Chief forecaster Chris Bulmer said: "A change in weather type early next week will see warmer conditions return across England and Wales but in contrast to much of the summer, this will be associated with showers or perhaps thunderstorms for some places."
He added: "However, some parts of the south will only see small amounts of rain. It will stay cooler in the north with the potential for heavy rain to build up, especially over parts of Scotland."
