Mick Lavelle, gardening expert and senior lecturer in horticulture at Writtle University College, offers seasonal advice

August can be a tough month for lawns. Hot days and often lower rainfall can result in the grass becoming stressed and it may stop growing altogether. Don’t despair, as there is a surprisingly easy fix you can apply to help keep your lawns in tip-top condition throughout the summer. This involves nothing more complicated than raising the cutting height of your mower. Contrary to popular belief, cutting the grass very short actually stimulates its rate of growth. This in itself puts a real strain on each of the individual grass plants, as they need to take up extra water and nutrients to enable this to occur. In addition, a reduction in the height of the top-growth restricts the amount of root. Essentially, grass that is kept constantly short cannot root deeply to access water, making the lawn prone not only to drought – as the roots are restricted to the uppermost (driest) soil layer – but also to heat stress. Even if you water a very short lawn, it may still turn yellow, as the elevated soil temperature frequently causes grass plants to turn dormant.

The situation can be made worse when a lawn is cut infrequently, but still mowed hard. Lawns subjected to such treatment almost invariably turn yellow and often only recommence growth once autumn is well underway. The trick is to mow your lawn lightly but frequently. Longer grass grows more slowly, has deeper roots, and provides welcome shade at the soil layer. If you stick to this regime in the hotter months, your lawn will stay greener for longer, without the need to water it. Remember, though, that even well-kept lawns tend to go brown in hot summers. If this does occur, fear not; your lawn is just resting and will ‘green up’ once autumn rains arrive.