Help with my grass

Hello,

I have recently noticed that the grass in my garden is going dry and changing to a yellow colour. I think its because of the hot weather we have been having it has dried it out. Does anyone have any tips on what to do? I believe i should be watering it right? when is the best time of day to do it etc?

I hope you can help

 

Hi @crazydaisyx, is it a well-established lawn or one that was planted recently? If it's the former, no you don't have to water it, unless you are desperate to keep it looking green, because it will survive and grow back once we do get some rain. More information from the RHS here: Lawns: care during drought/RHS Gardening

 

Grass is a plant too and needs plenty of water...First of all I would aerate it with a hand aeration tool...then scarify it with a long tined rake...over sow some areas if need be with a compost and sand mix and water.....I use 4 in one at the start of the Spring and again in the Autumn (I'm weed free)...and I feed soluble Miracle Gro grass food every 2 weeks...hope this helps..I keep my grass fairly short and only use a small Qualcast Panther hand mower

 

Hiya crazydaisyx

My grass is still pretty green......it has been a long hot dry summer here too.

To keep mine green I actually do the opposite to BigC in one respect. ....sorry BigC .....in that I keep my grass a little longer in summer. It helps shade the roots. Weed free here too and use a Bosch cordless mower...love this reliable, quiet machine

To keep my grass as green as possible, I water twice a week,...overnight...mow twice a week and will soon be applying another lawn feed.

My niece's new build lawn was turning yellow fast but last week I watered it a couple of times and a day or so ago fed it with liquid lawn food. It now looks a whole lot better.

BigC is right...grass is a plant, actually a lawn is composed of thousands of plants, and needs watering and feeding like any other. The other point I think is important to make is to water in the evening or overnight. Watering during the daytime is wasteful and much of the water will evaporate.

 

No worries @Verdun Late evening watering is best as you say...my grass lends itself to a shorter cut being a different fescue mix I expect. but as you correctly pointed out a longer sward is probably better in most cases....I'm a kinda grass nerd when it comes to my own green carpet lol...and you can find me outside at the crack of dawn brushing it to get the dew down into the roots before the sun gets high...its amazing how much water/dew sits on top of the blades...I wore slippers one morn by mistake and my feet were absolutely soaking...not to mention the neighbours probably thinking I was some kinda Nutter

 

Ha ha BigC....

Just about to take a photo of my lawn and yours is better .....looks excellent in fact; mine needs a mow and some feeding. lost some of its greenery over the past couple of (very hot dry) days so I cannot show it off . Its ok but not at its best!

Used to be a "grass nerd" too.... turned over the old lawn, dug in plenty of goodness, took the winter to level and firm it so it was "perfect" then sowed the finest grass seed. Then it was an obsession.....every weed or piece of rough grass was meticulously hand pulled, mown 3 or more times a week, spiked, scarified, fed and fed and fed again, top dressed twice a year !! Lots of work. Again, the brushing off of the dew....still do that now and again.

I began to realise I only really wanted a good lawn to see, to play on, wear well and be a rich green without the need for it to be a bowling green so I turned it all over again a few years later, sowed fine rye and raised the cut. Never regretted it...people compliment me on it but the work was dramatically reduced and the obsession removed.

 

Haha me too @Verdun but the obsession still inside lol...To be perfectly honest my grass is not a lawn in the true sense of the word..I.E. Bowling Green...it has to be practical and functional too with a small dog and grandkids..so its hard wearing also..its over clay too which dont help especially in the winter months. It is surrounded by pathways on all four sides and even the dog uses the path hahahahaha comical...this hot weather the edges need special attention as they dry out and the heat retention of the slabs dont help..
I'm sure yours is in good condition too considering the adverse conditions...If I was to show you my front grass by comparison you'd laugh...I dont do much with the larger plot out front due to us being open plan and the neighbours cultivate Dandilion, Daisy and Clover so I'd be fighting a loosing battle out there...at the moment its scorched earth so everone's frontage is straw coloured...We have a hosepipe ban in place but I still water my back garden with a watering can...takes forever but needs must lol
P.S. I just mulched and fed the Hydrangea's..thanks for sharing that info much appreciated

 

Haha @JWK Oh we still have plenty of time to relax at the bar too

Cheers

 

Nowt yet John but I plan to get some kind of Keg rigged up in the future (even make my own mash)...I like craft beers and Real Ale stuff, over here every one is into Lager or Cider...I admit there are some nice local Ciders about as we are slap bang in the middle of orchard county (Armagh) but I dont do Lager...The local Micro Brewery do a fine range of craft ales but I prefer draught.