Garden expert says avoid summer lawn mistake which kills grass

One simple mistake could kill your lawn as baking temperatures arrive, an expert has warned. Large parts of the UK have been hit with humid and sunny weather in recent days, amid sweltering early summer conditions.

And while the instinct of many garden owners may be to soak their lawns to ensure they survive the heat, an expert at turf professionals Masterlawn says it may have the opposite effect. In a blog post on its website, the firm says overwatered grass "can become as big of a problem as drought-stricken grass", and offers tips on ensuring you don't overwhelm it. The company explains that it can be difficult to diagnose the problem as lawns can turn yellow both because of being drought distressed, and because they've received too much water.

When lawns are overwatered their roots can drown, depriving grass roots of the oxygen they need to absorb, Masterlawn explains.

Other issues overwatering causes are the development of a shallow root system (rather than the deep growth into the soil it requires) and an increased risk of lawn fungus forming.

Key indicators that your lawn is overwatered include it having a spongey under your foot, and there may be runoff of trapped moisture onto hardscape areas.

The first step to address a sodden lawn is to stop watering it so much, and sort any issues that have built up as a result of overwatering like build ups of fungus, pests, or thatch.

And while sings of overwatering might be alarming, the company says they will normally bounceback unless it has happened for a protracted period and the grass is dead.

They recommend watering only once or twice a week during periods like the summer when you may not be getting enough natural moisture from rainfall.

Tools like rainguages can be used to track how much your lawn has received and adjust your watering schedule accordingly.

Masterlawn provides more in depth information about steps to protect your lawn from overwatering on its website.

Meanwhile, a garden expert at Ego Power Beyond Belief has revealed a few smart strategies of their own to keep your grass lush and green.

They flag three surprisingly simple tricks to help your lawn thrive, even in scorching heat.