How to keep your lawn alive in a heatwave – 4 ways to rescue your grass during this week’s red weather warning

If, like me, you’re wondering how to keep your lawn alive during this week’s heatwave, you’ll be pleased to know that the red weather warning doesn’t have to spell disaster for your grass.

There are plenty of ways to keep a garden cool in a heatwave, but we’ve experienced the hottest June day on record this week, which means we need to make sure we’re giving our lawns the TLC they need to survive.

Luckily, there are a few ways to keep a lawn alive during a heatwave – it’s just about knowing how long to leave your grass, when to water it, and which other lawn care tasks are worth adding to your list.

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1. Don't cut your grass too short

Knowing how to mow your lawn in hot, dry weather is crucial this week, because short grass is much more vulnerable to stress and heat damage. Longer grass, unsightly as it might seem, will actually protect your lawn right now.

‘Keep grass taller, around three inches, to reduce evaporation, enhance root depth and shade the soil,’ say the experts at Envii. ‘ Mow regularly but never remove more than one-third of the blade length at a time.’

The best robot lawn mowers out there, like the Segway Navimow i208 LiDAR Robot Lawn Mower (which is currently on sale at Amazon), can be set to a mowing schedule that cuts the grass little and often, and this approach tends to be the gold standard for summer lawn care.

Robot lawn mowers can also be healthier for a lawn than traditional lawn mowers, because they’re much gentler on the grass and dispense nutrient-rich mulched grass clippings back onto the lawn.

2. Water deeply

Intense heatwaves dry out lawns much faster than usual, so you’ll need to keep your garden as hydrated as possible. You might be wondering whether you can water your grass in the sun, though – and according to Lawnsmith’s lawn expert, Jonathan Davis, it’s best to stick to the cooler parts of the day.

‘Importantly, water deeply and infrequently, meaning giving your lawn a good soaking early in the morning and early in the evening when the temperatures are lower,’ Jonathan advises.

To save time (and in case, like me, you forget to water your lawn), it’s wise to buy a sprinkler that can be set on a timer. Bundle up this Hozelock Round Sprinkler Plus (which covers up to 254m²) with this Hozelock Sensor Controller Plus to set a watering schedule for your lawn.

3. Watch out for weeds

Weeding your lawn is probably the last thing you want to be doing in this heat, but Jonathan says the combination of recent rainfall and this week’s hot weather can create the perfect breeding ground for the likes of couch grass and creeping thistle. Left unchecked, they’ll take over your lawn.

‘A single weed can release hundreds of seeds if it’s left to flower,’ Jonathan explains. ‘Once those seeds spread across your lawn, you’ve got a much bigger job on your hands.

‘Weeds like dandelions have deep taproots that will regrow if you simply pull the top off. Use a trowel or a dedicated weeding tool to get underneath and remove the full root.’

I’ve been using the GARDENA weed puller, which you can order from B&Q, and it’s halved the time it usually takes to remove stubborn dandelions from my lawn!

Of course, there are ways to recover your lawn if weeds have already taken over – but if they haven't, prevention is better than cure.

4. Consider seaweed fertiliser

If your lawn is looking really worse for wear, it’s worth knowing what to put on your lawn in summer. Not every fertiliser is suitable for use in hot weather, though – especially during this week’s heatwave.

‘If you are looking to feed your grass without the risk of burning or scorching your lawn, the best options are organic or slow-release granular feeds, as well as liquid seaweed formulas,’ says Envii. ‘These are non-synthetic, meaning there are no harsh mineral salts that can scorch the turf.’

Liquid seaweed is perhaps the best option here, and solutions like The Shropshire Seaweed Company Organic Seaweed from Amazon promote strong, healthy grass that, when watered and mown correctly, thrives during a heatwave.

Keep these tips up your sleeve, and your lawn should survive this week's red weather warning.