Keeping your lawn lush and vibrant can be a challenge in the hot weather, but a professional gardener has shared one tip to stop it from looking "sad" in warm weather.
Summer means more time outdoors, especially in the back garden. Whether you're hosting a BBQ, pottering around your outdoor space or just relaxing - it certainly sees a lot more action during the sunny season.
Unfortunately, this can increased presence can negatively impact your lawn, as excess foot steps cause the soil to become compact. This can stop essential nutrients and hydration from permeating the dirt, making for a more lackluster lawn.
Luckily, the experts at Toolsstation have teamed up with Thea Pitcher to share one of the best lawn maintenance tips to keep it green after a bout of hot weather. The specialist has shared the benefits of aerating a lawn's soil and how to do it yourself.
Thea said: "Sad or damaged lawns can be caused by regular footfall, compacted soil, or drought. The best way to fix this is by aerating the lawn."
While this may not be new to those with green fingers, but it's a vital tip for novice gardeners.
She added: "This means making holes in the lawn to break up the compacted ground and allow water to pass through. It also helps to prevent poor drainage which can lead to moss."
While there are plenty of gadgets sold in garden centres that can aerate grass soil, Thea said it can easily be done by hand. She added: “Lawn aerators can be bought for this, or if you don’t have a big lawn and feel like exercising, you can use a garden fork.
Push the fork about 10cm deep and repeat every 10-15 cm. Once the aerating is done, rake the lawn and spread grass seed over the top. Then dress with a lawn top dressing (a sandy soil which is spread thinly over the top of the whole lawn).
Thea said: "It will help to improve the soil structure and prevent thatch (dead grass build-up). This also helps to keep the lawn level, and can be used to fill in any hollows in the lawn.”
When it comes to gardening, many people tend to wing it when carrying out garden jobs. Garden experts previously warned of a common lawn mowing mistake that makes them "open to disease".
To complicate things further, each garden bloom needs different treatment to keep them alive, especially in hot weather when rain is scarce. If you're new to the garden scene and need watering advice, there are plenty of tips to keep plants and lawns alive this summer.
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