After the hot weather and droughts of summer, lush green lawns all around the country turn into barren, dry patches. However, believe it or not, and contrary to popular belief, this isn’t the grass dying. It was, in fact, the grass going into a state of dormancy to protect itself, therefore allowing the grass to focus its energy on keeping the roots alive.
If your lawn is looking dry, compacted, patchy, or even bare in places. The good news is that early autumn is the perfect time to rejuvenate it. With the soil still warm and more rainfall arriving, grass can regrow quickly, helping your lawn bounce back stronger and greener for next spring.
How to Rejuvenate Your Summer Lawn
Rake & Aerate
Use a rake to remove the loose material from the grass and give it a generous watering. After a summer of heavy use, soil often becomes compacted, and your lawn is hard you can use an aerator or garden fork to relieve it. Aerating the lawn creates holes in the ground, which will help aid water absorption.
Overseed to Thicken the Grass
If your lawn is looking bare, then early autumn is the time to repair it with cooler temperatures, warm soil, and more rain to help with germination. To achieve a thick, lush lawn next spring, apply Westland Gro-Sure Smart Lawn Seed Fast Start. This seed is specially formulated to germinate in temperatures as low as 7°C, making it perfect for autumn sowing. Each seed is coated with Aqua Gel technology, which absorbs and retains water, releasing it gradually as the seed needs it.
Fixing Patches
Do you have patches on your lawn from all the sun and heavy use over summer? Apply a patch fix product like Aftercut Patch Fix, which can be applied between March and October. It is a unique blend of grass seed and feed designed to fix patches in your lawn quickly and easily, and also contains a special ingredient that absorbs harmful salts and ammonia produced when pet urine breaks down.
Read our article on how to repair lawn patches to find out more.
Feed and Green your Lawn
From September, you can apply an autumn lawn feed like Aftercut All In One Autumn Feed & Moss Killer to strengthen the grass and build resilience for winter. It has been specially formulated to kill moss, creating a stronger and greener lawn. The mixture of iron, potassium, and nitrogen will enable your lawn to withstand winter stress conditions, redirect energy to the roots for winter storage, and maintain a green appearance while preventing excessive growth before winter. Make sure not to apply Autumn All In One if you have recently sown lawn seed. Wait for it to fully establish before applying.
If you have done all of the above and your lawn is still looking dry and dead, simply give the grass a gentle pull, and if you can easily pull it up, then unfortunately, your grass has died. However, if you face some resistance, then it is still alive, and there is still hope for recovery!
Key Point to Remember
A key point to remember is that grass is one of the most resilient plants on earth. If a drought does occur again, simply leave the grass well alone and don’t mow your grass or use any lawn care products. Your lawn will usually recover rapidly with renewed rainfall after the drought. If not, simply wait until the heat wave passes and begin your lawn care routine again.
