You may think with the summer ending that August is the month to sit back and relax when it comes to lawn care. Surprisingly however, August is a very important month for your lawn. If you want a beautifully healthy lawn in spring, your work begins now.
Your guide to a healthy lawn
But where to begin? You have put all your love and hard work into your lawn all summer long, but the work is not done yet. To prepare a healthy turf for the coming season, think about the following:
- Weed control
Always pull weeds as soon as you notice them. A couple of weeds won’t do much damage to your lawn, but a large number of weeds will compete with your grass for moisture and nutrients - Mow in a high setting
Especially when there’s been a couple of hot days, your lawn can dry out and turn brown. Mowing the grass at a higher level helps provide shade to your grass and allows the lawn to retain its moisture. - Apply fertiliser
To kick-start the next growing season, apply autumn lawn fertiliser to strengthen the root structure and keep it healthy over winter. Good autumn treatment helps the lawn overwinter and gets it off to a good start in spring - Aerate your lawn
Lawns generally get a lot of use - we walk, play and sometimes even enjoy entertaining on it. But all this can lead to compaction. All plants - including grass - need well-aerated soil so that the roots can grow, and if the soil in your lawn is too compact, the grass roots can struggle and growth is limited. A common tool for aeration are spiked aeration shoes, but these can do more harm than good since they create aeration by compacting the soil around the hole made by the spike. Our recommendation is for an aeration tool or - for larger areas - an aeration machine that removes small cores of soil at regular intervals, allowing the compacted soil to ease. You'll often see this process being carried out on bowling greens or putting greens on golf courses. - Sow new grass in August or September
You may notice some spots of dead grass in your lawn, but this is completely normal during summer. Start over-seeding from early September, or even earlier, depending on the temperature. Use a rake to work the grass seeds into the soil. Add some water to the freshly sown seeds and enjoy a healthy turf next season!
Planning is key
Our final tip is this: plan your lawn care. Grass likes routine, just like many of us. Dedicate one day in the weekend to mow your lawn, find a week in August/September to do major lawn care and use spring for ongoing maintenance. Work your lawn care into your schedule and be sure to have a healthy and vivid lawn all year round. You can find all lawn care products online in our webshop or in store at Merryhatton Garden Centre in North Berwick.
