The Lawncare Guide - June

If in drought…

There is nothing a lawn likes better in dry periods or drought than a thorough soaking once or twice a week. The water will thoroughly penetrate the soil and encourage the roots to push down deep. A light sprinkling every day is a waste of your time and precious water. 

Now that is an odd way to start the June lawn tips, you might say, but it is easy to get caught out by a prolonged dry spell at this time of the year and find the lawn browning as we go into summer. If the weather goes hot and humid, the lawn may also become susceptible to brown patch fungus and heavy watering will help prevent this. If you were able to give the grass a weed and feed back in April that’s all to the good, but for many of us the mowing regime started late and a cold, wet May didn’t help.

It’s not too late to apply an all-in-one weed, feed and moss killer such as Aftercut (Westland) which can be applied between May and August. After a spring application you need to give it six weeks before applying again though. If you did manage a treatment in April/May that should suffice but the feeding part does depend on the type of grass. 

Grasses with a high rye percentage such as Lolium and Agrostis, and bent species, all need more frequent feeding. Fine leaf fescues require little fertiliser, but all grasses need nitrogen throughout the summer to improve the density of the lawn. However, too much nitrogenous fertiliser can lead to an excessive build-up of thatch, increased possibility of disease and poor wear tolerance. So, keep a balance with a planned maintenance programme over the year to achieve the best results.