Small town business owners

If you live in an area where the climate is inclined to be very dry during the summer months, you can still enjoy a healthy, green lawn if you know how to care for it properly.  Here are some tips on how to keep your newly installed lawn lush and vibrant even when the temperature soars.

Irrigation

Your lawn is made up of thousands of tiny grass plants, each with its own root system.  Every plant within the lawn needs an adequate supply of water in order to thrive and survive spells of dry weather, and an efficient irrigation system is therefore essential.

Well before the dry season arrives, it's important that you check your irrigation system is in good working order. 

Go around each sprinkler head and scrub it thoroughly with an anti-limescale product to get rid of any blockages and to make sure that the water can flow freely.  Give the nozzle filter screens a thorough cleaning too.  Check that any rotating heads can move properly, and oil the joints if necessary.

To avoid wasting water and to make sure that your lawn gets the full benefit, ensure that your sprinkler heads are angled onto the lawn, not onto the garden path or patio.

How much water to give

Although you don't want your lawn to become parched and dehydrated, it's also important not to flood it.  Aim to irrigate your lawn every three days or so and only water it when conditions dictate that it's necessary.  A good indication of when the grass needs water is when you can see footprints appearing, showing that the plants are not springing straight back up and are therefore becoming dehydrated.

You should set your sprinkler system so that it dispenses around two centimetres of water every hour or so.  This prevents puddles forming and prevents wastage through water run-off.  If there are any obvious dry spots on the lawn, you may need to water these by hand.

Other tips

Always water your lawn overnight when the sun has set.  This allows the water to soak right down to the grass roots where it's needed, before the sun has chance to evaporate it.

During the dry season, don't fertilise or feed your lawn.  This can encourage rapid, lush growth, meaning that your grass will need much more water.  Instead, feed your lawn in the early spring and autumn.

When mowing your lawn, keep your mower's height set at roughly six centimetres and make sure that the blades are very sharp.  This will ensure that the grass is cut cleanly, reducing potential damage to the roots, and also leaves plenty of cover for the roots from the sun's harmful rays.

In conclusion

You can keep your newly installed lawn looking good even in a very dry climate by following the tips given above.  For more advice about caring for your new lawn, have a chat with your lawn installation company or turf supplier.