How to revive a dry lawn for lush, green grass (even after a heatwave!)

There's nothing like a bout of hot weather to get Brits wondering how to revive a dry lawn. So, if you've been looking up lawn care tips for the past few days, don't despair; we're here to help you ensure the grass is always greener on your own side of the fence... no matter the weather.

You'll undoubtedly have already noticed (much to your chagrin) that grass growth will start to slow down in dry conditions, and that your lawn may start to turn an unsightly brown colour, too. Which we bet isn't something you had on your list of must-try lawn ideas.

'Dry lawns can look unsightly, but if your lawn has dried, gone brown or patchy and the weather is warm and dry, my tip is to make like the Scandis and leave it!' says Morris Hankinson, director of Hopes Grove Nurseries.

Morris Hankinson

Morris Hankinson is the founder and managing director of Hopes Grove Nurseries Ltd, the UK’s only specialist grower-retailer of hedging plants. He established the thriving business in 1992, shortly after graduating with a Commercial Horticulture Degree from Writtle College, Essex.

'When the autumn rain comes along, the grass will revive itself. While brown lawns don’t look so fantastic, grass is very resilient and should be fine in time,' he adds.

If you can’t wait, however, there are a few things you can do to revive a dry lawn.

How to revive a dry lawn

When it comes to figuring out how to revive a dry lawn, the gardening experts at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) insist that you steer clear of any garden watering mistakes.

'Resist the temptation to water established lawns through the summer months, however brown they get, as the grass will send up new leaves once it rains,' they insist.

You can, however, get to work doing the following...

1. Aerate your lawn

If you're wondering how to revive a dry lawn, here's a top tip: learn how to aerate like a pro.

'Aerate your lawn to allow for good drainage, so when it does rain or when you water, the lawn has good soil structure and drainage to help it make the most of the water,' advises Morris.

'There are aerating tools available which puncture the soil easily or you can just use a garden fork and push the fork into the soil all over the lawn.'

2. Stop mowing

Another great way to revive a dry lawn is to embrace the no-mow lawn movement, as eschewing your mower during hot spells will encourage deeper rooting.

'Let your lawn grow and definitely don’t be tempted to suddenly cut it really short. If you need a pathway through it. simply mow that but leave the rest,' insists Morris.

RHS experts agree, noting that 'close cutting in dry weather can weaken the grass and make it more vulnerable'.

3. Mulch

Mulching should definitely make an appearance on your lawn care calendar, particularly in the summer, as it's a great way to revitalise a dry lawn.

It doesn't have to be a taxing process; indeed, the RHS says that, if you do decide to get the mower out, you could 'let the clippings fall back into the grass to act as a mulch and hold in moisture'.

4. Use grey water

Finally, but by no means least, our gardening pros recommend using grey water to revive a dry lawn.

'If you really do need to water the lawn, use a watering can – ideally with harvested rainwater from a water butt, for example, or use dishwashing water and even water collected in the shower when you bathe,' says Morris.

'This can be a temporary solution, especially during hosepipe bans.'

FAQs

Will grass grow back after dry?

Grass is a lot more resilient than you might think, which means that a dry, brown and patchy lawn can absolutely come back from the (seemingly) dead – especially when the autumn rolls around.

Not only will seasonal showers give your dehydrated grass a good watering, but the experts at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) say that autumn is the perfect time to 're-sow any sparsely grassed areas, ideally using a drought-tolerant lawn seed mix' like A1 Lawn Shade And Drought Seed from Amazon.

How to fix a dry lawn?

The best way to fix a dry lawn is to wait for autumn to roll around again – or start researching low maintenance lawn alternatives for a more drought-tolerant garden.

If your green grass is your pride and joy, though, you can rejuvenate it by aerating with a fork, ditching your mower for the summer, mulching like a pro, and using grey water to give it a good and thorough dousing (ideally in the evenings to avoid evaporation).

Now that you know how to revive a dry lawn, you can either settle back in a deckchair and wait for the autumn rains to come, or you can set to work with an aerator.

We know which option we'll be choosing...