Now that we’re well into July you’ll notice that your lawn will need cutting more regularly due to the warmer weather. Once a week is sufficient, however for lawns with a finer grass then perhaps a little more frequently will keep it looking spot on. Remember to do your mowing on a dry day to avoid snagging the grass and compacting it. If there’s plenty of rain about then growth will be good so you can drop the height a little. If it’s very dry then keep the mower raised to avoid scorching or yellowing off. Also make sure you keep your blades nice and sharp.

Since we’ve had a lot of rain this month so far it would be wise to get a fertiliser feed down and naturally watered in with the rain to aid good dispersion of the nutrients and minerals into the root-zone. Any weed killer applied usually need to be done in advance of rain, although quite a few are “rain fast” meaning that within an hour of spraying they won’t wash off if it rains. If the weather turns hot and dry again, (hopefully) then ensure that the weed spraying is not a blanket spray but rather spot treatments to avoid scorching or damaging the grass. It is unusual for this to happen but prevention is better than cure.

If the lawn is remaining damp and the weather is still warm then it is likely that you will notice red thread around. You may also see Fusarium or Fairy Rings. Using a wetting agent and fungicide will help to prevent these or fix these issues. Ask for more information on these specialist products.

You can begin planning for scarifying and aerating although this should not be done during this month. It is best to wait until September to carry out these procedures. Moss control can also take place in these later months.

If you feel you need to do a bit of re-seeding then this can be carried out around September when the ground is still warm and usually a little more rain about or certainly easier to keep the ground wet.