There’s been no shortage of news reports, articles and TV programmes about the threat to the planet from climate change. In the UK changes in climate patterns have seen various weather records broken with most experts agreeing that in the future we are likely to see warmer, wetter winters and hotter drier summers.
Changes in climate can be seen on the global level, but also closer to home, with many gardeners already noticing changes taking place in their own back garden. We’ve looked at what these predicted changes could mean for you and your lawn.
More mowing
We may not enjoy doing it, but we all know that we have to mow our lawns. With the growing season lasting longer you’ll probably need to mow your lawn for more months of the year than you do at the moment. You may already have noticed that your grass is continuing to grow much further into the autumn than in the past – and this year has been particularly mild – and you will also need to start mowing earlier in the year. Some experts even think that in some parts of the UK your lawn may continue to grow all year round.
If you do have to mow your lawn for longer, it’s important that you remember some of the tips we have given in the past. Avoid mowing, and indeed walking on, your lawn if the ground is very wet, and when growth is slower – in the early spring and in the late autumn – raise the blades on your mower.
Be prepared for drought
Clearly if summers are drier and hotter, you are more likely to encounter periods of drought. Check out our guide to looking after your lawn in hot weather for a deep dive into some of the problems you may face. This will give you an idea of some of the treatments that All Green Lawn Treatments offers than can help your lawn make the most of any rain we do get.
Hotter, drier summers also mean more hosepipe bans which can be a disaster for gardeners and their lawns. Rather than having to worry about how a hosepipe ban might affect your lawn, instead why not invest in a water butt? There are numerous options for picking a suitable water butt, a good rule of thumb though is to go for the largest butt – or number of butts – that the space in your garden allows.
Watch out for moss
Moss thrives during periods of wet and mild weather, so it stands to reason that if winters become wetter and milder you may find you have a bigger problem with moss. While you can’t control the weather, you can control some of the other factors that contribute to a lawn moss problem.
Essentially the better you look after your lawn the more chance you have that moss won’t take hold. This means making sure that your lawn doesn’t become waterlogged by improving drainage through aeration and also ensuring that you remove any thatch from your lawn by taking advantage of our scarification service.
Changes in pests & diseases
As the climate changes you may also see changes in which pests and diseases are a problem or notice that they become problematic at different times in the year. Mild winters may mean that pests or diseases that used to die during a cold winter will survive, while the same changes may mean that they are evident earlier in the year than usual, or in parts of the UK where they didn’t used to occur.
As the weather is so unpredictable, one of the best things you can do to secure the health of your lawn for the future is to engage the services of a professional. Here at All Green Lawn Treatments, we are working with lawns week in and week out, so we notice that the changes that are taking place. Talk to us about your lawn today and we’ll be able to give you advice on what changes in the climate may mean for you and how we can help you keep your lawn healthy for years to come.