A completely dry lawn. It might just seem that way – a quick test will tell

Summer is in full swing and the lawn is really taking a beating. If we don’t water it, it’s more than likely that parts of it – or even the whole area – will dry out completely. However, it’s worth noting that the lawn may not be completely dead, even if it appears that way at first glance. The best thing to do is to test it. All it takes is a very simple trick that will quickly reveal whether the lawn is still alive, or whether it’s better to sow new grass or replace it altogether.

A simple trick with a tuft of grass

The test to check whether the lawn is still alive is, in fact, not at all complicated. Simply pick up a tuft of grass and try to pull it out of the ground. If the grass clearly holds fast and refuses to come away, then the lawn is still fine. This is mainly evident from the strong roots, which are simply able to hold on to the subsoil even when considerable force is applied. However, if the tuft comes away, it’s clear that its roots aren’t up to much and the area needs to be reseeded or, if necessary, replaced with a grass patch.

Brown patches aren’t necessarily caused by the sun

Most of us have a clear idea when we see brown patches. We simply assume the sun has taken its toll on the lawn and ruined it. In reality, however, this may not be the case. There can be many reasons why a lawn turns brown. For example, these may include:

– diseases,

– moss,

– over-fertilisation of the soil,

– blunt mower blades,

– over-watering the lawn.

The main problem is sharply defined patches that tend to give off an unpleasant odour. In these cases, simply watering won’t help. Unfortunately.

Tip: Avoid the most common lawn mistakes.

Photo: Radek Stepan

A few tips on summer lawn care

It’s certainly worth following a few guidelines regarding summer lawn care.

Mowing the lawn too short

Be careful not to mow the lawn too short. If it’s cut too short, it can suffer greatly. It simply cannot retain any moisture, which is a problem. You need to set the mower to a higher cutting height. A cutting height of around 5 centimetres will undoubtedly help on hot days.

Avoid daily evening watering

Daily evening watering isn’t ideal either. The lawn will get used to it and the roots will then fail to develop as they should. It will lose its resilience.

A blunt mower blade

Last but not least, don’t forget about a blunt mower blade. It tends to pull the grass out rather than cut it, so parts of the grass come out along with the roots, which is bad.

Sources: Author, Meta, https://www.rhs.org.uk/lawns/drought-care

Photo and photogallery: Radek Stepan