We’re all going on a summer holiday

We’re all going on a summer holiday but the lawn isn’t coming with us. Don’t stress – with a little forward planning your lawn can be just as healthy when you return as it was before you left.

Have you come home from summer holidays in the past to find the lawn has turned either into a jungle or a barren waste-land? Here are Daleys Turf’s proven tips to holiday-proof your lawn so it’s looking great when you get home.

An overgrown and unkempt lawn just announces to the entire neighbourhood that no one is at home so mow before you go and if your holiday is a long one, book a mid-holiday trim from a lawn mowing service. Set the mower on the highest possible setting – setting the blades too low trying to keep the grass short just risks scalping the lawn.

Apply a wetting agent so that the lawn will make the best use of any natural rainfall while you are away.

When you are going away for a week this summer, your lawn will barely even miss you. Simple preparations, a mow and a deep watering the day before you go should be sufficient.

Mow the day before you leave and give the lawn a deep watering too. Set up the sprinkler system or arrange for a neighbour to give the lawn a deep watering as required.

• Don’t apply fertiliser in the lead up to going away on holidays, it will just serve to speed up the growing process and therefore how often it will require mowing.
• Do spot spray weeds before you leave to stop any invasions while you’re away.
• Don’t dethatch, aerate or perform any other major works on your lawn right before you go on holidays as this is a crucial time to monitor lawn health and be available to fix any stress related decline.
• Do enjoy your holiday.

If your lawn is a little overgrown when you return schedule a few mows over a couple of days to get it back under control – don’t try and take off all the over-growth in one mow or you will just stress and damage the lawn plants.