As summer temperatures rise and rainfall becomes scarce, maintaining a healthy, green lawn can feel like an uphill battle. Dry weather brings unique challenges for lawn care, from parched soil to stressed grass that’s more vulnerable to weeds and pests. But don’t worry—your lawn doesn’t have to become a dust bowl. With the right strategies, you can help your lawns survive (and even thrive) during dry spells.
- Water Smart, Not More
It’s tempting to water more often when things dry out, but overwatering or shallow watering can do more harm than good. Instead, aim for:
- Deep, infrequent watering: Water 1 to 1.5 inches per week, ideally in one or two sessions. This encourages deep root growth.
- Early morning timing: Water before 9 a.m. to reduce evaporation and fungal growth.
- Use a rain gauge or a can to measure how much water your sprinkler system delivers.
- Raise Your Mower Blades
Mowing your lawn too short can stress it further in dry conditions. Taller grass:
- Shades the soil, reducing evaporation.
- Develops deeper roots.
- Crowds out weeds.
Set your mower blades slightly higher to combat this.
- Mulch Your Clippings
Leave grass clippings on the lawn after mowing. This natural mulch helps retain soil moisture and returns nutrients to the soil. Just be sure not to leave clumps, which can smother the grass.
- Aerate if Needed
Compacted soil makes it harder for water and nutrients to reach the roots. If your lawn feels hard and the water pools instead of soaking in, consider core aeration. We do our core aeration in the winter months, but you can always use a fork to make holes to help during warmer months. In longer dry spells, it can still help improve water penetration.
- Weed and Pest Management
Stressed lawns are more vulnerable to invasions. Our weed control treatments will help with weeds that like to grow in dried out bare areas. We are seeing more damage now to lawns from leatherjackets. Sadly, at this time of year there is little that you can do to combat them, but speak to us about our new pesticide that we will be able to apply in the autumn.
- Water Conserver Treatment
When you have our Spring into Summer Treatment we apply a water conserver. This helps to reduce dry patch and maximises the effectiveness of watering and rainfall. We can also apply this treatment when and as required; please ask for more details.
In Summary:
Caring for your lawn during dry weather doesn’t mean using more water—it means using smarter techniques that conserve moisture and support root health. With a little extra attention and some strategic adjustments, you can help your lawn survive drought and bounce back stronger when the rain returns.