How to repair a drought damaged lawn

We’ve had lots of emails and messages from our customers wondering what they can do to get their drought-damaged lawn back to its best, so we prepared this fool-proof four-step plan of preparing, aerating, feeding and overseeding with some fresh grass seed.

Step One: Preparing

The best chance your lawn will have of a fresh start and new growth will be with a fine seed bed. What does a fine seed bed entail? To get a fine seedbed, you’ll need to first remove all debris – stones, weeds, leaves, from your lawn.

Then, you’ll need to dig and turn over your soil about 5-10cm deep and give it a good rake. This will give you the best foundation for sowing new seeds and kickstart the renovation and regrowth of your lawn.

Step Two: Aerating

Drought weather means usually moist lawns are devoid of any kind of water/rain intake, and this allows the soil to become compacted. Compacted soil makes it very difficult for any grass seed to grow, as it isn’t getting any of the nutrients or water it needs.

To help your soil out, spike your lawn with a pitchfork to alleviate the compaction, then leave it for a few weeks to let the soil cultivate on its own. If you’re super fancy and have a corer, you can use this too.

When the soil is left on its own to cultivate, some spare weeds may pop up. This is to be expected as the soil has been disrupted and is basically trying to figure its newfound airiness out. Pull any of these weeds out by hand – don’t use a weed killer.

Step Three: Feeding

By now, your lawn will have had lots of rain or been watered by you since the summer's heat, as we are back in the swing of ‘normal’ UK weather—a.k.a. rain every other day! Your soil will be moist enough to spread a nitrogen-rich fertiliser to kick start its growing and greening!

We recommend our SLOW RELEASE: Spring / Summer fertiliser for any established lawn. A continuous feed for up to four months, this fertiliser will strengthen the root growth of your existing grass while feeding the soil for new grass to grow big and strong. Spread at a rate of 35g per m2. You can do this by hand if you are wearing a glove and by using a handheld or rotary spreader.

Not sure of your spreader settings? Make sure to contact the manufacturer, who will be able to tell you the right setting for your fertiliser and the area you are fertilising. Make sure to water your fertiliser after you have spread it, as the water will not only help the soil absorb the fertiliser but also help it activate and work its magic. Or, eh… science as well, call it here.

If your lawn needs a quick nutrient boost, our Make it Green liquid lawn fertiliser could be the nutrient smoothie your grass needs to get back on track quickly!

Step Four: Overseeding / Reseeding

We recommend waiting two weeks for the fertiliser to take full effect before you plan to sow. Make sure the weather where you are is forecast as 10 degrees and up for the next two weeks in the window you plan to sow in, as grass seed needs to germinate at these temperatures. Sow your seed just like your fertiliser at a rate of 35g per m2, and ensure it is covered up to £3 coins deep, i.e., just under the surface. Rake over, firm down with your feet in your best penguin shuffle and water.

Aftercare

Water your overseeded lawn like a brand new one, and don’t mow until the blades are at least 5cm in height—close mowing or early mowing can damage new seedlings that are just trying to find their way in the world.

Prevention

Invest in a sprinkler, or water your lawn in between sunbathing sessions to prevent it from drying out and compacting. Just as we need to stay hydrated in unlikely hot UK weather, so do our lawns!