What to Do With a Flooded Lawn

During the past few weeks it has been raining heavily in most areas all over the country. Before that, many areas were struggling with droughts and the threat of hosepipe bans and despite of the heavy downpours some areas still are. But while the dry Mother Earth (or at least Mother UK) is replenished with water from above it’s hard to avoid our gardens suffering in the wake. We all know that plenty of water is great for our lawns and that it makes them lovely and green, but a lawn standing in water for a long period of time can really damage the turf. So, what can you do to care for your flooded grass turf?

Patience, patience, patience

You may be tempted to put on your wellies and run outside on a full-on grass turf rescue mission as soon as the sun is back out, but this could damage your lawn even further. Walking around a waterlogged lawn can break the structure of the grass roots and cause more harm than good. Wait until the lawn and ground has naturally dried enough so you don’t sink into the ground when you walk on it and the grass has had some time to gain momentum.

Remove debris

Depending on how heavy the rainfall or the nature of the flooding you’ll probably find more branches, leaves, rocks and other debris than normal following the heavy rain. It’s very important to collect this before you do anything else to avoid any damage to your lawn mower or other garden equipment. Rake it up very gently so you don’t cause any harm to the fragile grass roots if it’s too difficult to pick it up with your hands.

Aerate the lawn

When the grass turf is submerged in water for a long time the soil will become compacted, which can seriously affect drainage. When your lawn has dried up enough it is crucial to aerate the grass to restore drainage to guide any remaining water down into the soil and away from the lawn surface.

Replace topsoil

To strengthen the root structure of your grass turf you should replace any topsoil that would have been washed away with the water. Rolawn supply special lawn top-dressing for this task – enabling you to restore some structure to the lawn and prevent it from falling apart. If it’s already too late and your grass turf is already ruined consider growing a temporary lawn to restore the ground cover as soon as possible. You can then go back and build a more extensive lawn for proper establishment later.

For more advice on grass turf contact Rolawn on 0845 604 6050 or email info@rolawn.co.uk.

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