With the hot dry weather we have been having in Altrincham over the last few weeks the rain this weekend is a blessed relief for many gardeners in Altrincham and South Manchester as most of the lawns are starting to turn brown now but they will soon start to green up again with the rain.

One mistake that most gardeners make is cutting grass way to short and cutting it every two weeks it is much better to cut the lawns weekly at a higher cut as this will avoid the pale patches that appear after cutting and keep the grass looking nice and green.

It is much better to cut lawns at the highest possible cut in drought conditions as the longer blades of grass will give shade to the soil so that any moisture from overnight dew may have a chance to do some good.

It is only necessary to cut grass really short for sports usage such as tennis courts, bowling greens or golf greens as long grass will affect the run of a ball.

One other affect of cutting lawns to short is that it will make it more easy for moss to take hold which is a common problem in Altrincham.

Lawn maintenance needs to be carried out all year round and good results will be achieved by cutting every week at the correct height  and by fertilising a couple of times a year in the spring and mid to late summer.

The best time to carry out remedial work on lawns is in September and October although this can be down through the winter months.

More advice will follow about how to bring poor lawns back to life in the next couple of articles.