June Essentials- Growing above and beyond in your garden this summer

The days are warmer and the evenings longer; June is awash with tempting outdoor treats, from the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee bank holiday weekend, not to mention half term holidays and Father’s Day.

Nothing beats time spent in the garden with friends and family, enjoying perfect days in the garden together. We’ve put together some quick and easy tips to get the most out of your lawn this month – so if your lawn isn’t looking fit for a Queen, there’s time to transform your own slice of earth.

Using our decades of experience in maintaining greens at the UK's most prestigious golf clubs, So & Mo make looking after your lawn a doddle, even for complete novices. Here are our June essentials:

1. Removing unwanted weeds

You get weeds in your garden in the first place because they take over thin or bare patches quickly. To get your garden in shape, start with a clear-out, and you’ve got two options. Use a trowel or handpick them (wear gloves and remove the roots), or use herbicide weed killer - but we believe the trick is to remove them by hand, so you know they’re gone..

You might have noticed a bright lime green colour grass popping up in your garden at this time of year. Poa Annua (meadow grass) is very common in the UK but easy to get rid of.  

Regular lawn maintenance will help keep the lawn as strong and healthy as possible to ensure there is no room for weeds to sow and compete for space on your grass.

2. Keep on cutting

The more regularly you can cut during the ‘growing season’, the better. Every three to four days will encourage the grass to grow thicker and healthier – this will also spot pesky weeds trying to take over!

Did you know diagonal lines make your garden look bigger? In irregular spaces, use the contours of the garden and have wavy lines. The possibilities are endless - play around until you find something that works.

A lovely striped lawn will be the envy of your neighbours, but it will also be healthier as you get a more consistent cut, and you’ll stop the grass from ‘laying over’.

3. Avoid paddling pool disasters & fixing damaged areas

If the kids paddling pool has been out for a day or two, use a rake to stand the grass back up. Grass is a hardy plant, and it should return to a natural, healthy green colour quickly.

If the paddling pool has been there for a few weeks, the turf underneath will have died. You can revive the grass by scarifying (working back and forth with a rake to clear dead grass, weeds and moss) the discoloured patch and doing a light topdressing and overseeding. The grass will show signs of recovery in a week, and it will grow again in two to three weeks.

4. It's feeding time

We feed our bodies with the right nutrients to stay fit and healthy, and the same theory applies if you want a happy and healthy lawn. With warmer weather and plenty of sunshine, we want to maximise a healthy topcoat.

If you’re subscribed to So & Mo’s seasonally adjusted lawncare plan (you can subscribe here), you will have received or will shortly be receiving our summer application. Our mix of nutrients helps with recovery, so your lawn will still be going strong after a kickabout or a garden party.

5. Enjoy your lawn

It's easy to overlook the simple pleasure of feeling healthy springy grass between your toes. Summer, or ‘growing season’ as we like to call it, is the most enjoyable time of the year. Whether you’re enjoying an ice-cold drink, entertaining friends, or playing football in your garden, So & Mo can make sure the grass under your feet looks good and feels great.