Parts of the UK are set to sizzle with temperatures soaring as high as 30C this weekend, which will likely send Britons flooding into their gardens.
But before gardeners reach for their lawn mower, experts have suggested that they may want to hold off cutting the grass in the heat.
The gardening experts at Rated People said: “Extreme heat can quickly kill the healthy-looking lawn you have been maintaining since the start of the year.
“Our main advice is to avoid mowing your grass during extreme heat – so no matter how tempting it might be to get into the garden this weekend, you should give the grass chance to recover from the heat and potential drought before mowing.
“We recommend waiting for cooler temperatures, and if possible, waiting for rainfall. While the weather’s unpredictable in the UK, it does have its benefits.
READ MORE: ‘Best’ methods to water lawns in summer ‘boost growth’ and ‘keep grass healthy’
Based on the latest Met Office data it looks like rainfall and thunderstorms will soon be following the heatwave that is predicted this weekend (June 9 to 11) so gardeners won’t have to wait too long to get the lawn mower out.
By analysing the latest Met Office data, the gardening experts recommend UK homeowners wait until 26th June to get their lawnmowers out. This is based on the following Met Office forecast:
- Week commencing June 12: Fairly cloudy but widely warm – hot and humid in some places with a risk of scattered showers and thunderstorms.
- Week commencing June 19: The risk of thunderstorms will likely diminish with cooler, drier conditions resuming across eastern areas.
- Week commencing June 26: West and north-western areas seeing the best of the sunshine and warmth, whilst eastern areas are likely to be a bit cooler.
The experts said: “This means June 26 is the perfect time to mow your lawn following the heatwave.
“It will have given your grass time to recover from the stress of extreme heat, as well as allow time for your lawn to soak up any rainfall that is predicted.”
When grass blades can not get enough water, they begin to dry and die out.
All types of grass can type in the summer months, but some lawns are more prone than others.
When a lawn is particularly stressed due to periods of high heat or drought, it can be limited in its ability to recover from mowing.
Instead, green-thumbed Britons should only mow their lawn after rainfall or if they have a frequent watering regime.
It’s important to water the lawn heavily over the next few days as the temperatures climb.
Ideally, gardeners should be watering it early in the morning before the main heat of the day. Gardeners should aim to water their lawn in the morning, ideally before 10am, when it is cooler, the sun is lower and the winds are calmer.
This should allow more time for water to soak into the soil and be absorbed by the grassroots before it can evaporate.
When watering the grass, try to soak the soil, rather than watering the grass blades. Don’t worry about overwatering lawns during hot weather as this is very hard to do so.
