Summer Lawn Care: 5 Common Mistakes That Could Ruin Your Lawn

Why Do Summer Lawn Care Mistakes Happen?

With the best intentions, many of us ramp up our lawn care efforts during Summer. After all, this is when we want our gardens to look their absolute best for BBQs, garden parties, and lazy afternoons outdoors. However, grass behaves differently in hot weather, and what works in Spring or Autumn can actually be damaging during the peak Summer months.

Understanding how your lawn responds to heat, drought, and increased use is the key to maintaining a healthy, resilient garden that can withstand Britain's increasingly unpredictable Summer weather.

5 Summer Lawn Care Mistakes to Avoid

Overwatering or Watering Too Frequently

One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is giving their lawn frequent, light sprinklings rather than deep, infrequent watering. This actually trains the grass roots to stay near the surface, creating a lawn that's completely dependent on daily watering and vulnerable to any dry spell. Instead, water thoroughly once or twice a week, ensuring the water penetrates at least 15cm deep. This encourages roots to grow downwards, creating a more drought-resistant lawn that can access moisture reserves deeper in the soil during hot weather.

Mowing Too Short (Scalping)

Scalping your lawn might seem like an efficient way to reduce mowing frequency, but it's one of the most damaging things you can do. When you cut grass too short, you're removing the plant's ability to photosynthesise effectively and exposing the soil to direct sunlight, which encourages weed germination. The golden rule is never to remove more than one-third of the grass blade in a single cut. So keep your mower blades higher during Summer - around 6-8cm is ideal!

Overfeeding with Fertiliser

It's tempting to think that more fertiliser equals a greener lawn, but Summer is actually the worst time to overfeed your grass. Excess nitrogen during hot weather essentially forces the grass to grow when it should be conserving energy, leading to weak growth that's more susceptible to disease and drought stress. High nitrogen levels can also burn grass roots when soil temperatures rise. Switch to slow-release, organic fertilisers during Summer months and always following the manufacturer's guidelines. More isn’t always better!

Neglecting to Aerate Compacted Soil

Heavy foot traffic, BBQs, and garden parties combined with dry conditions create rock-hard soil that prevents air, water, and nutrients from reaching grass roots. You'll notice this if water runs off rather than soaking in, or if the lawn feels spongy underfoot. Aerating with a garden fork or aerating tool creates channels for essential elements to penetrate. Focus on high-traffic areas and consider aerating monthly during dry spells to maintain those healthy root zones.

Mowing During Drought or High Heat

Mowing during extreme heat or drought conditions places additional stress on already vulnerable grass. The combination of cutting stress and environmental stress can severely damage grass recovery. Check the weather forecast and avoid mowing when temperatures exceed 25°C or during drought conditions. If you must mow, do it early morning or evening, and raise your cutting height by at least 1cm higher than usual.