The benefits of grass are so huge in terms of sheer relaxation and stress reduction (proven when walking on grass barefoot), to say nothing of  its properties of cooling and storm water attenuation, that to cast it aside in the general hysteria about hot, dry periods is very shortsighted.

As yet another dry month for those us in the East and South East has drawn to a close, what lessons can be learned as we try to keep our precious patch of lawn green and alive.

Firstly, there is still the watering option.  In the Environment Agency’s latest water status update, they state that no water companies have a hosepipe and sprinkler ban in place.  Water is becoming more expensive and we all have a duty to use it responsibly.  Sprinklers are best put on in the evening when the risk of loss through evaporation is much lower.  There is no point in overwatering – all that does is encourage reliance on surface applied water and discourages deep rooting.

Secondly, reduce the frequency of mowing and bring up the height of cut.  Mowing is stressful to the grass plant if it is not growing fast and we need to do everything to reduce avoidable stress.

Thirdly, there is no point applying fertilisers if the grass is not growing and taking it up.  Scorch could result which is another avoidable stress.

If periods of drought are going to become the norm as a symptom of climate change, longer term thinking is needed, and either or both of the two following options should be considered:

• Water storage – rainwater harvesting and grey water harvesting (eg bath and dishwasher water) is a technology which is becoming simpler and cheaper. Search on the Internet for companies like Watermatic for information on tanks and pumps.
• Change grass type and species – new grasses have the ability to withstand long dry periods.  The one we have had consistent good results with is RTF turf, a turf mix containing rhizomatous tall fescue which, when properly established can put roots down to a depth of 1.5 metres.  We have several types of lawn around the Lindum office and RTF lawn has remained consistently green throughout the last three months.  We can advise on the special management regime to keep this turf growing.  Our LT2 Low Maintenance turf contains the drought tolerant species, crested hair grass, which along with other fescues provides a fine, slow growing mix.

What are your experiences of keeping lawns alive through the recent dry period, and how are you adapting to climate change?

Only with irrigation can any of this happen and we are fortunate to have an aquifer with plentiful supplies deep in the sandstone below our sandy fields.  This is an expensive exercise however, requiring a lot of electricity to power the submersible pumps. 

Our thoughts have been recently turning to renewable energy and whether we can harness the wind which dries out our crops and blows sand throughout the parish if we leave it unprotected.

We are applying to erect one wind turbine to help us contain this escalation of energy costs and as part of the proccess held a public consultation meeting in the local village hall to explain our intentions to our neighbours. 

Whilst most people are in favour of renewable energy, not many want to gaze out onto a turbine, which is why we have taken care to site it where very few will see it.  An interesting evening!

Although there are obvious situations where the artificial product makes sense such as hockey pitches or heavily used mounds in children’s play areas, there are many other reasons why natural grass should always be the preferred option and these are covered in my recent article in Greenkeeper International Magazine on the advantages of natural grass – click to download article (Pdf, 616kb)

Particularly popular has the the LT4 Smooth Stalked Tees grade, where we manage to achieve an even and dense sward of fescues and fine leaved smooth stalked meadow grass. Much more hard wearing than pure fescue this is the perfect tee and fairway turf for courses wanting to avoid perennial ryegrass.

Yes, it is tough maintaining a golf course on a reduced budget, but without good greens and tees golfers can only too easily be tempted elsewhere.

Our LT1 Tournament Greens Turf has come through the winter looking extremely well – clean and free of disease, and now is the perfect time to lay it. The height of the LT1 Tournament Greens is currently 10mm at harvest and will be reduced further once the weather starts to warms up further.

Seeding time will soon be upon us and the ground is drying out nicely. As always we have the regular dilemma of how much of each grade to seed for the following year. Let’s hope we continue to get it right!

This is usually prevented in a professional turf growing situation by the application of a fungicide in late autumn accompanied by a balanced nutrition programme, and I am delighted to see that most of our turf has come out of this extreme winter in a very good condition.

On a domestic lawn, there should not be a long term problem. As soon as the soil warms up the grass will begin to grow, and a spring fertilizer can be applied to aid recovery. Note that fertilizers should not be applied too early to cold, waterlogged soils.