Lawn enforcement
Your patch of green need not suffer in the summer, writes David Overend.
Despite the rain (and even snow) of April, some people could face a lot of heartache in 2022 – especially if they love their lawns. Many gardeners will cope – they will have to cope – with the threat of drought. Their grass will have to fight the good fight itself, but anyone whose pride and joy is the lawn will be worried that a prolonged dry spell will bring with it disaster.
So, is there really anything they can do to avoid the heartache of seeing their beloved patches of green turn slowly to bedraggled patches of brown?
There is an upside to the dilemma – you won’t have to use the lawnmower
quite as often as you would in a normal
English summer when it’s usually a case of dodging the showers to get the grass cut.
If it’s dry, and it’s going to continue to be dry, mow sparingly and raise the height of the cutting blades – the lower the blades, the more chance of scalping the treasured lawn and encouraging invasive (and water-using) weeds and moss to move in.
Letting the grass grow a little higher will do it no harm; in fact, it will help it in dry conditions.
And while you’re at it, make sure the mower is in fine fettle – the sharper the blades, the truer the cut and the less damage to the grass.
If you haven’t done so already, feed established lawns before they get too dry, and remove any broad-leaved weeds. If there are bare patches or damaged areas, re-seed them quickly.
The stronger and healthier the lawn, the better it will be able to cope with little or no water until the rains finally arrive.
And if the lawn is relatively small, use old washing-up water and bath water to help irrigate it, but to cut down on evaporation, always water in the evening.
If you don’t love the lawn that much, consider a prolonged dry spell as the chance to make a change – replace old, tired grass with a gravel garden, a seating area, new beds and borders (perhaps of plants which can survive without a regular drink) or re-seed it with droughttolerant grasses.