When dry, hot weather turns your garden brown, it can look as though your lawn is beyond saving. The good news? Established UK lawns are extremely resilient. Most brown grass isn't dead—it’s simply dormant, conserving energy until water returns.

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As rainfall increases and the growing season resumes, a little extra care will help your lawn bounce back thicker, greener, and healthier. Here is our step-by-step guide to post-drought lawn recovery.

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1. Don’t Rush to Scalp Your Lawn

When grass starts turning green again, it’s tempting to cut it back hard. Resist the urge!

• Raise your cutting height: Set your lawnmower to one of its highest settings (around 5–7 cm). Longer grass blades shade the soil, reduce evaporation, and help roots grow deeper.

• Keep mower blades sharp: Dull blades tear the grass, causing stress and moisture loss. (Need a blade sharpen or service? Contact the Melton Mowers team!)

• Mulch light clippings: If mowing lightly, leave fine clippings on the lawn to act as a natural mulch that retains moisture.

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2. Water Deeply, Not Frequently

Lightly sprinkling your lawn every day encourages shallow roots, making grass more vulnerable to the next dry spell.

• Water deeply: Aim for a thorough soak once or twice a week rather than light daily watering.

• Time it right: Water early in the morning or late in the evening to prevent evaporation under the midday sun.

• Let the rain do the work: If heavy rainfall is forecast, let nature handle the watering for you.

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3. Aerate Baked Soil

Dry summer soil becomes hard and compacted, causing autumn rain to run off the surface rather than soaking in.

• Relieve compaction: Use a garden fork or powered aerator to spike holes throughout the lawn (5–10 cm deep).

• Benefits: Aeration opens up channels for water, oxygen, and nutrients to reach the recovering root system.

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4. Feed for Root Strength (Not Quick Top-Growth)

Once the soil is moist and grass shows active signs of growth, give it a nutrient boost.

• Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers: High nitrogen causes rapid leaf growth that tender young shoots can’t support after stress.

• Use an Autumn Lawn Feed: Choose a fertilizer rich in potassium and phosphorus. This strengthens the root system and prepares the grass for the winter months ahead.

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5. Repair Dead Patches (Overseeding)

If parts of your lawn remain bare and yellow after a few weeks of rainfall, those patches may need reseeding.

1. Rake: Remove dead grass, thatch, and weeds to expose bare soil.

2. Sow: Scatter quality grass seed evenly over the patch.

3. Protect & Water: Lightly rake seed into the soil, press it down, and keep it moist until germinated.

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Need Mower Servicing or Garden Machinery Advice?

Whether your mower needs a blade sharpen after a tough summer or you're looking for aerators and scarifiers to restore your lawn, Melton Mowers is here to help.