Brown Lawns are cool – Turfgrass Growers Association
In view of the extremely warm weather we are currently enjoying, and the forecast of more to come, the Turfgrass Growers Association has issued a press release to re-enforce its “Brown Lawns are Cool” message.
The Turfgrass Growers Association, whose members produce more than 70% of the turf grown in the British Isles, says that during hot weather, the watering of established lawns is, in most situations, wasteful and unnecessary.
“Our message to homeowners is not to worry if your lawn goes brown during the summer”, says its Chief Executive, Tim Mudge. “Going brown is the natural survival mechanism of grass. When water is in short supply grass responds by shutting down. The brown colour shows that it has stopped growing until more favourable conditions return. Grass is remarkably resilient, and as long as you follow a few basic rules, most lawns will recover completely when the rain finally arrives.”You
- You can increase your mowing height to 35-40mm which creates deeper roots and more shade and shelter from higher temperatures.
- Try not to concentrate wear in one place by moving barbeques and toys like slides around your lawn.
- The is no need to feed grass as it won’t be growing in hot, dry conditions.
- Avoid blanket weedkillers as these may damage the grass and use spot weedkiller instead if necessary.
- Keep mower blades sharp as blunt blades bruise the grass leaf and it loses more water.
- Apply a light dressing of compost to help keep moisture in the soil and protect the grass from higher temperatures.
- Scarify your lawn once a year to remove matted and dead growth, if this is allowed to build up it can act as a barrier to rainfall. But do not scarify in dry weather its best carried out in the autumn.
You can find tips for looking after established and newly-laid lawns during the summer are available on our website.
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