Daniel Hibbert, a lawn expert, has suggested that gardeners use a wetting agent to help their grass recover once rain arrives, as large parts of the UK face hosepipe bans after weeks of little rainfall that have caused havoc for farmers and raised concerns among scientists.
In a video on his YouTube channel, Hibbert discussed a customer's lawn last month, saying: "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."
What a wetting agent does
Hibbert explained that a wetting agent helps water soak into a lawn, rather than running down a slope or sitting on the surface. When mixed into water, it allows the moisture to penetrate the ground, so any rainfall is better able to help the grass regrow.
He is not alone in recommending the product this summer. Jonathan Davis, a grass expert at Lawnsmith, told WalesOnline: "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."
One of the driest Julys on record
The advice comes as the UK experiences one of the driest periods in recent years, with hosepipe bans in place across the country and July rainfall described by the Met Office as "extraordinary".
Met Office scientist Dr Emily Carlisle said ahead of official statistics: "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."
However, the Met Office's chief forecaster, Chris Bulmer, said there could be some relief on the way. He explained: "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. 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."
