Growing turf in hot weather. : Ask The Experts : Lee Rowans Gardenworld

Everything happens quickly in hot weather. Water is essential, it it dries out at all, it can be dead within a day. The key to keeping the lawn in top condition is a combination of the right lawn-type coupled with appropriate amount of irrigation and care. Here are the essentials.

Effective watering.

Regular deep-watering is better for your lawn than frequent shallow-watering. Rather water for longer, less frequently. This encourage deeper roots that can delve deeper into the soil to find moisture.

Never water in the heat of the day, most of the moisture will evaporate. Watering your lawn in the morning or evening. If it is very humid overnight, it is best to water in the morning only as evening watering can lead to disease issues.

Apply a wetting agent.

Check if your soil is water repellent by pouring some water onto a few areas. If it does not soak in quickly, the soil may have developed hydrophopia, which is caused by decomposition of organic, matter, which leaves a wax like substance forming a coating on soil particles. A wetting agent will break down this coating allowing water to penetrate.

We recommend LSA Lawn Soaker.

Mowing regularly.

Mow your lawn regularly to keep on top of the leaf growth. You don’t want to remove too much at a time. Removing more than a third of the leaf at one time, will cause stress to the grass roots.

When mowing, do so earlier in the day or as the sun has started to go down again. The hot sun in the middle of the day is more likely to do damage to the freshly cut lawn.

Sharp blades will also reduce harm and stress to the grass. Sharper blades will cut much cleaner cuts.

Aeration.

Improving the ability for water to penetrate to the roots will be important to take best advantage of water when it is available, but also to improve moisture in the soil where it is needed during the next dry spell.