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How to ensure lawn thrives in summer?

My lawn seems to thrive in winter and just die off in summer

everything i try seems to fail whether it’s applying soil wetter for the summer months or aerating the lawn nothing seems to work.
everything i find online talks about lawns coming alive in summer and going dormant in winter so theres no help there

what should i try ?

picture is of the other day whilst mowing the lawn

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Planting and Growing

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Comments

EricL

Hello @ameliam

Thank you for sharing your question about your lawn. That is a bit concerning if the reverse happens with your lawn, it should be thriving this summer. Can you please tell us what you've been applying to your lawn? What have you been using to fertilize it with? Have you been topping up the soil? When have you been applying the fertilizer? How often do you water the lawn? Any other information you can tell us about your lawn care habits will be very much appreciated.

I also suggest having a look at this discussion - Lawn renovation by @homeinmelbourne

Here is a link to our best advice: What are your tips for keeping your lawn healthy?

In the meantime, I suggest having a look at these guides:

How to detect lawn problems by @Adam_W
When should you feed the lawn?
Do you put clippings on the lawn? by @Adam_W
How to revive my lawn? by @MikaRJ

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

ameliam

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/41811#Comment_41811

Ive tried lots of things over the past couple years

ive used blood and bone, dynamic lifter, the cheap bunnings lawn fertiliser , seaweed liquid and ive also added soil wetters to the lawn all of which hasn’t really done anything to change the lawns strength through the warmer months

i usually add the fertilisers after the warmer months have started because as i said during winter the lawn grows crazy fast

i have done a ph test on the soil and it’s a pretty consistent 7.0 all around

i have done a couple applications of compost over the last few years too

last year i thought maybe it was because i was leaving it too late between the last rains and starting to water the lawn but this year i started watering pretty much when the rains stopped a couple weeks ago and it’s already looking like it’s starting to yellow up a bit (recent rain has greened it back up again)

ameliam

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/83447#Comment_83447

I have also done a couple of passes aerating the lawn with a pitchfork (i cant afford those fancy core aerators) over the last couple years

ameliam

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/106631#Comment_106631

Oh and i do occasionally use weed n feed during the cooler months to knock the weeds on the head too 🙂

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/120512#Comment_120512

Hi @ameliam,

It sounds like you've been really diligent with your lawn care, so it's understandable that it's frustrating to see it struggle in summer despite your efforts. Given that your lawn thrives in winter but struggles in the heat, this could be due to the type of grass. Cool-season grasses, such as fescue or ryegrass, grow well in cooler weather but tend to go dormant in summer. Identifying your grass type could help tailor your care routine.

Where are you located? In some locations, like my mother's house in Bathurst NSW, unless you are watering constantly through summer, everyone's lawns die off.

Your soil pH of 7.0 is ideal, but soil compaction could still be an issue. While aerating with a pitchfork is helpful, more thorough aeration or using a soil conditioner like gypsum may improve water and oxygen flow to the roots, especially in clay-heavy soils. Also, while you’ve been fertilising in summer, timing is crucial. Fertilising right before the heat hits can sometimes stress the lawn. Try fertilising in spring or autumn instead, so the grass is stronger going into summer.

On watering, it’s great you’ve started early, but the lawn may need deeper, less frequent watering to encourage stronger root growth. Check that the water is penetrating deep enough, as shallow watering can lead to drought stress in the heat.

Lastly, be cautious with products like weed and feed, which can sometimes stress lawns during hot weather. It’s best to limit their use to the cooler months.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

ameliam

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/129080#Comment_129080

So i decided to go nuclear on the back lawn and just kill it all off to try start again and i think i see why my lawn only grows in winter. It’s just way too sandy. I turned the soil over with a cultivator and also pulled up a lot of rubble a couple inches below the surface. I’m going to till some clay through it and put some manure over to finish it before trying to grow a new lawn

JacobZ

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/134813#Comment_134813

Sounds like a good plan @ameliam.

Keep us in the loop if you run into any questions along the way, I'm sure our members will be happy to help.

I'm excited to see your new lawn come together.

Jacob

ameliam

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/138242#Comment_138242

This was taken middle of feb i have since gone over the bare spots with manure and a bit more seed and it’s filled in quite nicely.
the problem i have now is

when i cultivated all the soil my method for smoothing it all over was to just use a landscaping rake and go by eye. Problem is that after i then sprinkled the seed down and watered it it’s become rather lumpy. I noticed when i mowed it that there is parts that you can just feel are uneven and lumpy.
what should i do to try rectify this and also what should i do better when i do the rest of the back lawn next spring ( my plan was to see how this little section went and if successful id then do the rest of the back yard the next season and possibly also the front lawn)

JacobZ

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/140637#Comment_140637

Hi @ameliam,

Great work so far; your lawn is looking magnificent.

If the areas are uneven but not excessive, then you can top-dress the lawn with sand and level with a Soil Spreader.

Getting a completely level lawn, however, will not happen in one application of top dressing. You may need to apply thin coats 3-4 times, allowing the grass to grow back through before applying the next coat, to get it perfectly even. Considering you've committed the time and effort to your lawn, I imagine you will be happy to do this.

Core aerating before topdressing will also help as it will loosen the soil and even things out. While a pitchfork will help with aerating, a Lawn Corer that removes plugs will be much more effective as the soil will be broken up and have spaces created subside into which will have a levelling effect.

If there are sections of the lawn that are obviously higher than others, it may be worth removing the top layer of soil and reseeding those areas.

Let me know what you think.

Jacob

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