How to Maintain Your Garden Turf in High Temperatures

Summer expectations often include blossoming gardens, bright green grass, and a soft, bouncy lawn ready for BBQs, picnics and paddling pools.

But when temperatures rise above 30 degrees and stay there for months on end, it can turn that dream summer lawn into a dry, hard, and discoloured patch of grass.

High temperatures can stress your turf. The good news is that with the right care and attention, most lawns can survive the heat and bounce back once the rain arrives. In this article, we talk you through exactly what to do to help your lawn in high temperatures.

Content Overview

• How does hot, dry weather affect my turf?
• How do you look after grass during a heatwave?
• Should you water your lawn during a heatwave?
• Should you mow your lawn during a heatwave?
• Should you walk on dry, brown grass?
• Can you fertilise turf during a heatwave?
• Can Aerating Help a Lawn During Hot Weather?
• Should You Scarify a Lawn During a Heatwave?
• Quick Summary
• Speak to the Experts
• FAQs

How Does Hot, Dry Weather Affect My Turf?

Although well-established lawns can withstand high temperatures and drought, you’ll still see physical changes to your turf. These are all natural, but it helps to understand what your turf is going through.

When summer rolls around, your turf experiences:

• Reduction in photosynthesis and energy levels
• Slower, thinner growth
• Stressed turf and increased lawn diseases
• Colour change from green to brown
• Straw-like appearance and texture

You can help improve your lawn’s resilience to heat and contribute to its long-term health with the lawn care tips below, giving it the best chance to recover once the heat cools down.

How Do You Look After Grass During a Heatwave?

During heatwaves, the best way to protect your lawn is to reduce stress on your grass. This means:

• Watering deeply rather than little and often
• Mowing less frequently
• Keeping grass longer
• Reducing lawn use or heavy traffic
• Avoid fertiliser treatment
• Monitor dry and compacted areas
• Being patient and allowing grass to recover

Newly laid lawns need extra care as the roots are still establishing. Watering, in particular, is key to building a strong foundation.

Read More: How Often Should You Water New Turf?

Please Note: Always check current water restrictions or hosepipe bans and follow the recommended advice.

Should You Water Your Lawn During Hot Weather?

Newly laid lawns will need watering daily. However, as mentioned above, follow any local irrigation restrictions.

Most established lawns already have deep roots that can access water underground, so they don’t need daily watering during hot weather.

Where watering is permitted, follow these 3 top tips for watering your lawn during heatwaves:

1. Water Deeply, Not Daily

The correct approach during hot weather is to water turf deeply and infrequently.

Aim for two to three sessions per week, running your sprinkler for 40 to 60 minutes per session, delivering around 2.5 to 3cm of water across the week in total.

This pushes moisture 15 to 20cm into the soil, where roots will follow. A deeper root system is more resilient, stays cooler, and is far better equipped to handle prolonged dry spells.

A 2024 University of Reading study found that lawns watered deeply two to three times a week survived heatwaves 30% longer than lawns watered lightly every day.

Top Tip: Place an empty tin can on the lawn while your sprinkler runs. Stop when it has collected around 1 to 1.5cm of water. That is a reliable way to gauge when you have applied enough.

2. Water in the Morning or Evening

When watering your turf in hot weather, timing matters!

Water your lawn between 4 am and 8 am if you can. This is when evaporation is at its lowest and water has the best chance of reaching the roots before the heat builds. If watering at night, aim for any time after 6 pm.

In peak summer, midday sun can evaporate up to 60% of irrigation water before it reaches the soil. Midday watering is largely wasted water.

3. If Your Lawn Turns Brown, Don’t Panic

During prolonged periods of hot, dry conditions, your green grass will naturally turn to a desert brown – which is completely normal.

When your lawn starts to change to a light, straw-like brown, it’s protecting itself by stopping growth and moving into dormancy. Established UK lawns, which are predominantly cool-season grasses like perennial ryegrass and fescue, can survive dormancy for four to six weeks without rain or watering.

The grass may look dead, but the roots remain alive underground. It will recover once conditions improve.

Read More:

• Revive Your Lawn: Solutions for Dealing with Dry Grass
• Is My Lawn Dead or Dormant?

Should You Mow Your Lawn During a Heatwave?

Mowing your lawn at the correct height is one of the most crucial steps in protecting it during high temperatures, as the height at which you mow your grass significantly impacts its health and ability to cope with stress.

When you do mow in the summer. Follow these top tips:

• Set your mower to 6–7.5 cm
• Taller grass provides shade, reduces evaporation and keeps roots cool
• Longer grass increases photosynthesis for energy production and growth
• Reduce mowing to once every two weeks
• Allow grass to reach 10cm in height before cutting
• Keep mower blades sharp
• Never remove more than one-third of the grass blade in a single cutting

Read More: What Height Should I Mow My Lawn?

Should You Walk on Dry, Brown Grass?

In our experience, avoid heavy foot traffic across dry, drought-stressed lawns when possible.

When grass is dry, the blades become drier, more fragile, and less flexible, making your lawn more vulnerable to wear and tear. Any additional pressure from walking on the grass, playing games or garden furniture can cause further damage.

Your garden doesn’t need to be off limits, but avoiding stressed areas will give it a better chance to bounce back once rain falls.

Read More: Is Your Turf Stressed?

Can You Fertilise Turf During a Heatwave?

Unless your fertiliser is specifically suited to hot weather, avoid applying fertiliser to your lawn in hot, dry conditions.

Although it’s tempting to apply a spring/summer lawn feed to give your lawn a nutrient-rich boost, it can actually have a negative effect.

Spring/summer fertiliser encourages growth. But turf that is already struggling to grow in the heat doesn’t need any additional pressure to grow.

For better results, wait until temperatures cool and moisture returns – your lawn will thank you for it!

Can Aerating Help a Lawn During Hot Weather?

Yes, aerating compacted soil during hot weather can help your turf by allowing it to absorb more water.

When soil becomes compacted from hot, dry conditions and heavy use, water, oxygen, and nutrients have a harder time reaching the roots. Aerating the soil with a garden fork creates channels that make it easier for key nutrients to feed your grass.

Should You Scarify a Lawn During a Heatwave?

Scarifying is best avoided during a heatwave. Ideally, wait until your lawn is actively growing and has enough moisture to recover.

The purpose of scarifying is to remove moss, thatch and dead material to revive the soil. However, it also puts your lawn under additional stress… especially during hot, dry, high-drought conditions.

Instead of scarifying, focus on protecting the existing grass, and scarify your lawn as part of your autumn lawn care.

Quick Summary of How to Protect Your Turf in High Temperatures

To maintain a healthy, strong lawn during the summer months, focus on the following lawn care essentials:

• Mow only when grass is actively growing
• Keep grass blades taller
• Water in the morning or evening
• Reduce foot traffic on dry grass
• Aerate compacted soil
• Clear thatch from the lawn’s surface
• Avoid scarifying
• Ultimately, don’t panic!

View Our Range of Turf

Speak to the Experts

Seeing your lawn turn brown can be frustrating, but your grass is simply responding naturally to hot, dry conditions.

If you’re worried about your turf or looking to switch to turf that can handle drought, get in touch with our knowledgeable team today. You can also explore our ranges of turf or head to our helpful Turf University articles.

FAQs

Is it better to leave grass longer in hot weather?

Absolutely. Keeping grass slightly longer in summer, around 10cm, can help shade the soil and reduce moisture loss. Raise your mower height and only mow every couple of weeks.

Should I fertilise brown grass in summer?

Avoid fertilising severely dry or drought-stressed lawns. Wait until temperatures cool and moisture levels rise, and use a suitable seasonal lawn feed.

Will newly laid turf survive a heatwave?

Yes! If you’ve just laid new turf, don’t worry; it can still survive in difficult conditions. Monitor moisture levels to keep your turf hydrated, and follow any local watering restrictions.