Keep lawns in tip-top condition with a little extra attention through summer and they’ll reward you by providing the perfect setting for your plants as well as seeing you through all the picnics, barbecues and football matches of summer.
You should be cutting the lawn regularly by now, ideally once a week: make sure the mower blades aren’t set too low, though, as cutting the lawn too closely stresses the grass and lets in the weeds. Raise the mower blades to give your grass just a light trim and it will stimulate the blades to thicken up from the base, as well as rooting more strongly. This is particularly important for new lawns which are just establishing as it makes the resulting lawn thicker and of a much higher quality.
While you’re there, take out any obvious weeds with a hand weeder if there aren’t too many, or with an application of targeted lawn weedkiller if you have a major problem. You can buy a spot treatment here at the garden centre in Basingstoke or an easy-to-use liquid weed killer to apply to the whole lawn via knapsack sprayer or watering can.
Finally, give them a boost with a dose of liquid feed. This is a great way to pep up your lawn just before a special event: just add liquid lawn fertiliser to the watering can according to the instructions on the packet, applying in the morning or evening for best results. The effect should be almost immediate; you can repeat the treatment every 4-6 weeks right through the season, but don’t be tempted to overfeed the lawn as it can make the growth soft and vulnerable to disease. If you want something that’s longer-lasting, apply a slow release spring and summer granular fertiliser to keep your lawn in good condition right through till autumn.