The Ultimate guide to helping your lawn in the Summer
Summer Lawn Care: Expert Video Guide
Summer brings sunshine and growth, but also challenges like drought, heat stress, and aggressive weeds. These expert videos show you how to keep your lawn thriving through the hottest months with practical, proven techniques.
From heatwave protection to weed control and proper mowing techniques, you'll get straightforward advice backed by 30+ years of professional greenkeeping experience.
How to Look After Your Lawn During a Heatwave
Heatwaves can turn your lush green lawn brown within days. This video shows you how to protect your grass during extreme temperatures whilst saving water and money.
You'll learn the optimal watering times, how to test if your lawn genuinely needs water, and professional techniques used on golf courses that you can apply at home. Discover why seaweed extract helps during drought conditions, how wetting agents improve water penetration into hard, dry soil, and which affordable sprinklers give you the best coverage.
The key is working smarter, not harder. Most lawns only need 25mm of water per week, even in summer.
Supporting your lawn through heat stress becomes much easier with proper nutrition. Our Summer Fertiliser is specifically formulated to maintain grass health during the hottest months without promoting excessive growth that increases water demand.
Turn Your Boring Lawn Into Something Amazing (Stripes Challenge)
Sometimes lawn care needs to be fun! This video combines stunning lawn striping techniques with charity fundraising, proving that beautiful lawns can do good in the community.
You'll see real-time striping techniques that work on domestic lawns and learn about mowing patterns that create professional results. Created to raise awareness for a local cancer charity, this video shows how proper mowing, feeding, and care can transform an ordinary lawn into something spectacular.
Great stripes start with lawn health, not fancy equipment. A well-fed, properly mowed lawn stripes better than a neglected one with expensive gear.
How to STOP Weeds in Grass (FOREVER)
Weeds thrive in summer heat and can take over your lawn within weeks. This video shows affordable, effective methods to permanently eliminate weeds without damaging your lawn.
You'll discover why selective weed killers are more effective than people realise, how timing affects success rates by up to 80%, and why strengthening your grass is the secret to permanent weed prevention. Most importantly, you'll understand the "crowding out" principle and how creating thick, healthy grass naturally prevents weeds from establishing.
It's not about constant warfare; it's about creating conditions where weeds can't compete. A lawn that's cut at the correct height and fed regularly will naturally suppress 90% of weed problems.
Healthy, well-fed grass outcompetes weeds naturally. Our Summer Fertiliser promotes dense turf growth that leaves no room for weeds to establish.
Why You Might Be Encouraging Weeds Without Knowing It
This eye-opening video reveals common lawn care habits that accidentally promote weed growth. You might be working hard, but you could be making things worse without realising it.
Many DIYers follow advice that seems logical but actually creates perfect conditions for weeds to thrive. You'll discover why mowing too short literally invites weeds into your lawn by creating bare soil patches, how incorrect feeding schedules weaken grass and strengthen weeds, and why some watering patterns favour weed germination.
Once you understand these mechanisms, weed control becomes dramatically easier because you're working with nature, not against it.
Lawn Care for Beginners: The One-Third Rule
Mowing is the most critical lawn care task, yet 90% of people do it incorrectly. Master the one-third rule, and you'll transform your lawn's health within weeks.
This principle states you should never remove more than one-third of the grass blade length in a single mowing. When you violate this rule, you shock the grass plant, weaken its root system, create entry points for disease, and leave bare soil exposed to weed seeds.
This video explains exactly why this happens, then shows you practical ways to follow the rule without mowing constantly. You'll learn optimal mowing heights, how often to mow in summer, whether to collect or leave clippings, and why blade sharpness affects everything.
How to Kill Weeds in Your Lawn: Testing Vinegar, Chemicals & Organic Methods
Confused by conflicting weed control advice? This video puts popular methods to the test on real lawns, showing you what actually works and what's a waste of money.
We test household vinegar, professional selective herbicides, organic weed killers, and manual removal techniques, tracking results over several weeks. You'll see which treatments kill weeds quickly, which ones are selective and won't harm grass, which are cost-effective, and which are frankly useless despite their popularity.
The video also addresses safety concerns, environmental impact, and practical application techniques.
Summer Lawn Care Questions
How often should I water my lawn in summer?
Most established UK lawns need about 25mm of water per week during summer, whether from rainfall or irrigation. The key isn't frequency but depth. One thorough soaking that penetrates 15cm into the soil beats daily light sprinklings, which encourage shallow root growth. Water early morning (before 10am) to reduce evaporation and fungal disease risk. Use the footprint test: if your grass doesn't spring back after walking on it, the lawn needs water. If it bounces back, wait another day or two.
Should I let my lawn go dormant during drought?
Yes, you can. Established lawns survive drought by going dormant, turning brown but remaining alive at the crown level. This is a natural survival mechanism, not lawn death. The grass will green up again when rain returns, typically within 2-3 weeks. If you choose dormancy, avoid foot traffic on the brown grass and don't apply fertiliser until growth resumes. However, newly seeded lawns (under 12 months old) lack the root depth to survive drought and need regular watering to stay alive.
What's the best mowing height for summer?
Raise your cutting height in summer to 50-75mm (2-3 inches). Taller grass shades the soil, reduces water evaporation, develops deeper roots, and naturally crowds out weeds. Never cut more than one-third of the blade length in a single mow. If your lawn grows to 100mm, cut it back to 70mm maximum. During heatwaves, consider raising the height even further or reducing mowing frequency. Sharp blades are essential in summer because clean cuts heal faster and lose less moisture than ragged tears from blunt blades.
When is the best time to apply weed killer in summer?
Apply selective weed killers when weeds are actively growing but temperatures are moderate, ideally 15-25°C. Very hot days (above 25°C) can stress both weeds and grass, reducing effectiveness and risking lawn damage. Early morning or evening applications work best during summer. Avoid spraying before rain (it washes product away) or during drought when weeds have reduced their leaf surface. Spring and early autumn often give better results than midsummer for broadcast weed treatment.
Why is my lawn developing yellow patches in summer?
Yellow patches in summer usually indicate one of several issues: drought stress (starting at the edges and high spots that dry first), dog urine damage (circular patches with green rings where diluted nitrogen acts as fertiliser), fungal disease like red thread or rust (look for pink threads or orange powder on blades), or nutrient deficiency (general yellowing rather than patches). Examine the affected grass closely. If it pulls up easily without roots, suspect grubs or leatherjackets. If blades have visible fungal signs, treat accordingly. General yellowing often responds to appropriate summer feeding.
Can I apply fertiliser during a heatwave?
Avoid applying granular fertiliser during extreme heat or drought conditions. The salts in fertiliser can burn grass when moisture is scarce, and the plant can't properly absorb nutrients when it's stressed. Wait for cooler weather or adequate rainfall. If you must feed during summer, use a liquid seaweed product which supports stress tolerance without adding growth-promoting nitrogen. Our Seaweed Lawn Booster is ideal for summer applications because it helps grass cope with heat without stimulating excessive growth that increases water demand.
