As the weather heats up an expert warns people about the mistakes they could be making when it comes to looking after their lawns this summer and what to do instead
When the sun comes out it’s tempting to give your garden a good water but you could be doing more harm than good.
While it’s important to ensure your grass gets enough moisture, water it too much and you could kill your grass. But how do you figure out just what your lawn needs?
Pol Bishop, a gardening and landscaping expert at Fantastic Services, told The Express there are a few lawn mistakes people should avoid that will ultimately allow moss and weeds to “kill your grass”.
“Moss and weeds are one of the most common lawn problems that homeowners face, and it’s often due to improper lawn care, which encourages their growth and spreading,” he explains, and there is one common mistake in particular that could be leading them to taking over.
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You might assume that watering our lawn would be something it always needed, but it turns out overwatering is something “moss typically likes and thrives in,” Pol explains. The pro recommends watering lawns thoroughly but infrequently, as well as avoiding watering when it’s high humidity.
Cutting out overwatering could be the key to banishing moss from your grass and giving you that perfectly green lawn you might see at Wimbledon.
As well as becoming the perfect criteria for moss to thrive, overwatering can also suffocate the grass and stunt its growth. A common sign that grass is being overwatered is when you start to notice yellow patches on your lawn.
This is because there isn’t enough oxygen and H20 getting to the roots. This is easily solved by watering infrequently rather than religiously every day. Experts say just once a week is enough to give your grass time to look luscious.
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Another common mistake Pol highlights is improper mowing, as people can be inclined to cut their grass too short, which weakens it, making it easier for weeds to take over and leading to damage to the growth crown.
The expert advises that to keep it at a healthy height, you should avoid removing more than one-third of the grass blade at a time.
Meanwhile, lawncare expert and director at leading turf-growing company Rolawn, Jonathan Hill, previously shared another lawn mistake you should avoid when it’s scorching outside, no matter how tempted you might be.
Green-fingered Jonathan advised that the worst thing you can do to your lawn during a heatwave is to over-mow it, telling the Mirror: “When temperatures in the UK rise, mowing can actually cause stress to a lawn, so it’s often best to leave your grass to grow a little longer in these conditions.
“The shorter the grass, the less shade there is to protect the roots, and therefore the amount of moisture held by them is reduced – grass that is too short will dry out.”
As explained by Jonathan, growth slows during the warmer months, so you won’t need to get the mower out as much. When you do, however, it’s vital to ensure your mower blade is nice and sharp, to prevent tearing your grass.
Jonathan continued: “To avoid scalping the lawn, the cutting height of your mower should be increased during dry conditions. A higher setting will allow valuable moisture to be trapped, limiting evaporation and encouraging stronger, deeper roots to grow, which improves drought tolerance overall.
“When mowing, never take more than one-third of the length of the plant off in any one cut to avoid damaging the lawn.”
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