Hot weather has finally arrived in the UK, with temperatures hitting 28C earlier this week in parts of the UK. While it might be tempting to get out in the garden and start on some jobs you’ve been putting off, an expert has warned that you might want to hold off cutting your grass on particularly toasty days.
Carlos Real, a lawn care expert and the managing director of TotalLawn warned that gardeners should only cut their grass during hot spells if they are “committed” to watering it.
He explained: “If you are watering regularly, then you should carry on mowing every two to three days, but if you can’t commit to solidly watering your lawn, it’s best to avoid mowing too.
“That’s because heat causes additional stress on the lawn, and mowing will only add to this as it tries to recover.”
If the blades of grass can not get enough water they will begin to dry and die out.
All types of grass can struggle during hot weather if they do not get enough water, but lawns are particularly susceptible to drying out.
Mr Real explained: “It’s important to water the lawn heavily over the next few days as the temperatures climb. Ideally, you should be watering it early in the morning before the main heat of the day.”
“When watering, think about it more like soaking the soil, rather than watering the grass blades,” he said.
“It is very hard to over-water your lawn, so don’t hold back.”
The expert advises watering your lawn before 10am each day before the highest temperatures set in. If you can not commit to watering your lawn, you should only cut it after rainfall, according to Carlos.
Mr Real also suggests avoiding fertilising your lawn when the weather is hot. During the hot weather, it might also be worth holding off on feeding your lawn with any fertilisers.
Mr Real said: “Unless you are committed to watering your lawn every day, we’d recommend avoiding granular feeds for a few days.
“That’s because the fertiliser can burn your lawn in the hot weather if it isn’t properly watered, so save the feed until after the heatwave.”
