How to care for your lawn after a drought  

Give your lawn time to recover

The first rule after a drought is simple: don’t rush to mow.

Rain will encourage new growth, but your lawn may still be under stress. Give the grass time to absorb the moisture and start producing fresh green growth before putting it under the additional stress of mowing.

When you do mow, make sure your mower blades are sharp and set them higher than usual. Removing too much of the grass leaf can put unnecessary strain on a lawn that is still recovering. Avoid cutting more than around a third of the grass height at any one time.

Resist the urge to overwater

Once the rain arrives, there’s usually no need to reach for the hose – and for most of us, there’s still a hosepipe ban. Natural rainfall should provide the moisture your lawn needs, particularly if the ground has had a chance to properly rehydrate.

If conditions turn dry again and the hosepipe ban is lifted, occasional deep watering is generally more beneficial than frequent, light watering, as it encourages roots to grow deeper into the soil.

Check for damaged areas

Don’t be too quick to assume that brown grass is dead. If the crowns and roots are still alive, new growth may appear surprisingly quickly once moisture returns.

However, if you have areas that remain bare, thin or heavily damaged after a few weeks of suitable growing conditions, it may be time to consider repairing them.

Small patches can often be reseeded, while larger or badly damaged areas may benefit from returfing. Autumn is an excellent time to lay new turf in the South West, as the combination of warmer soil and increased rainfall gives new grass a good opportunity to establish before winter.

Give your lawn a helping hand

Once your lawn has started actively growing again, gently rake away any dead material and consider aerating compacted areas (for more info check out our tips for aeration here). Aeration helps air, water and nutrients reach the roots and can be particularly useful if the ground has become hard and compacted during a prolonged dry spell.

A suitable autumn lawn feed can also help strengthen grass ahead of winter, but avoid feeding a lawn that is still dormant or visibly stressed.

Most importantly, be patient. Your lawn has survived the drought; now it needs a little time to recover. With sensible mowing, good moisture levels and some autumn TLC, it should soon be looking greener, healthier and ready to face the seasons ahead.

Key points:

• Don’t mow too soon: Give your lawn a chance to recover first.
• Damage may not be permanent: Wait to see if new shoots appear.
• Returf in the autumn: This is an ideal season to lay new turf.

If you would like further advice on lawn care  or would like to talk to us about ordering turf, please contact us on 01392 231040 or email sales@wesellturf.com