Has your lawn faced long, hot days, followed by humid afternoon storms recently? How do these extreme conditions affect your lawn, and how can you help it during this weather? Let’s take a look…
These hot and humid conditions can often cause the perfect breeding ground for disease. However, there are some prevention techniques that can be implemented to help stop a possible fungal disease in its tracks.
Reducing shade to the lawn by pruning back any surrounding trees and shrubs will allow for evaporation, helping the area dry out quicker. If the area can dry out quicker, it will be less likely to face issues with disease. Reducing shade will also allow the grass to photosynthesise more, helping with the lawn’s overall growth and health.
Adjusting your watering techniques is essential to help prevent your lawn from sitting damp for extended periods of time. If there is a hot day predicted and you need to water the lawn, we recommend doing so in the morning before the heat of the day. Afternoon/night watering should generally be avoided as the lawn will sit damp for an extended period.
To help get the most out of rainfall or when irrigating your lawn, we recommend using a wetting agent like Lawn Soaker. Wetting agents can help water-repelling, and hydrophobic soils better absorb water so that it can get to the roots of the grass rather than pooling on the surface. Lawn Soaker is available in an easy-to-use hose on bottle, helping make application easier than ever.
When you mow your lawn on an irregular basis, the grass will become more sparse and weak. During these times, especially with hot and humid conditions, the lawn will become more susceptible to disease. Regularly mowing will ensure your lawn stays the healthiest it possibly can.
As a rule of thumb, we recommend mowing your lawn frequently enough so that only one-third of the leaf is removed with each pass.
Aeration is the process of opening up the soil profile to allow water, nutrients and air to flow better within the soil. This process can be achieved in numerous ways, but one of the most effective ways to aerate is by using a simple garden fork. To aerate, drive the fork into the profile of the grass. Then, give the fork a good wiggle to help fracture up the soil. Drive the fork into the ground around 10 cm apart and repeat this process across the lawn.
With all of these methods combined, your lawn will be better equipped to face the hot and humid temperatures that this summer brings.
For more seasonal lawn care tips and advice, make sure you check out our other lawn care blogs here.