How to water your lawn in a Kent summer.

When to water

• Early morning is best (before 9am). Water reaches the roots before the sun burns it off.
• Evening is second best, but leaves the lawn damp overnight, which can invite disease.
• Midday is the worst time. Most of it evaporates and droplets can scorch the grass.

How much, how often

Better to water deeply twice a week than lightly every day. Deep watering encourages roots to grow down, making the lawn more drought-resistant. Little and often keeps roots shallow and weak.

Don’t panic if it goes yellow

A lawn going brown in a heatwave isn’t dying, it’s going dormant. Most Kent lawns bounce back within a week or two of normal rain returning. Unless you really want a green lawn all summer, you can just leave it.

Kent water bans & common sense

Hosepipe bans are a real possibility in a Kent summer. Keep an eye on South East Water’s updates. A water butt fed from the shed roof is a cheap way to keep your garden going when bans come in.

Quick summer tips

• Raise the mower blade, longer grass shades its own roots and keeps moisture in.
• Leave short clippings on the lawn; they hold moisture and feed the grass.
• Aerate in spring so water can actually get down to the roots rather than running off.