Gardening experts reveal their helpful tips for reviving your heatwave-damaged lawn

IF you’re panicking that your heatwave-damaged lawn still looks dead and patchy, even after the recent rain – don’t. I’ve got experts Matt J Adams, lead gardener and founder at seed company The Relentless Gardener, and Cobra MD Peter Chaloner to answer all the lawn questions EVERYONE is asking right now. Sun Gardening has brought in experts to answer all the lawn questions readers are asking right now Credit: Getty The summer heatwaves have damaged gardens and green spaces across the country Credit: Getty Q) MY lawn looks brown and exhausted after the hot summer. Do I need to replace it? Matt: The good news is that most heat-damaged lawns do not need replacing. Sign up for the Fabulous newsletter Thank you! Weeks of high temperatures and heavy summer use leave grass looking tired, but September is the perfect recovery window. A few well-timed jobs now will help the grass recover naturally, strengthen its roots and prepare it for winter. Q) WHY does the lawn look so stressed and how do we fix it? Peter: Heatwaves and foot traffic compact the soil, while moss and thatch build up. This blocks water, air and nutrients from reaching the roots. Cooler autumn temperatures and increased moisture offer the ideal conditions to relieve this compaction and build a stronger root system. Q) WHAT is the best way to tackle compacted soil and thatch? Most read in Fabulous Peter: First, scarify the lawn when it is reasonably dry to remove thatch. Don’t be alarmed if it looks bare and untidy initially — this is a normal part of the process. Next, aerate the soil using a garden fork or a hollow-tine aerator to create vital channels for nutrients, especially on heavy clay soils. Q) HOW should I fix the bare and thin patches? Matt: Overseeding is ideal for thickening the lawn. After scarifying and aerating, sow a seed mix tailored to your garden. Use a hard-wearing ryegrass and fescue mix for high-traffic areas, while a finer fescue grass seed is a good option if you’re looking for a more ornamental finish. Divide your seed into two batches, sow in different directions, rake lightly to a depth of 0.15cm and keep the soil consistently moist. SHOULD I apply a standard fertiliser to kickstart growth? Q) Matt: No, avoid high- nitrogen summer feeds or 4-in-1 products. Instead, choose an autumn-specific lawn feed. These are lower in nitrogen, focusing the grass’s energy on root development and winter resilience rather than encouraging lush, soft top growth that will easily freeze. SHOULD I stop mowing the lawn now summer is over? Q) Peter: Keep mowing while the grass grows, but do not cut it too short. Leaving it slightly longer protects the roots. Reduce your mowing frequency as growth slows, and never mow when the ground is very wet to prevent further compaction. Also in Veronica's Column this week.... Top tips, gardening news, Plant of the Week and win electric-powered lawn scarifiers worth £109 each. For more gardening content, follow me @biros_and_bloom SAVE: SNIPS are perfect for autumn deadheading. Niwaki’s Mainichi ones, left, are £48, but Burgon & Ball’s Flora Brite version from B&Q, right, is £13.49. WIN! WE’RE giving away TWO Cobra electric-powered lawn scarifiers worth £109 each. To enter, visit thesun.co.uk/COBRACOMP or write to Sun Gardening Cobra Competition, PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP. Include your name, age, email or phone. UK residents 18+ only. Entries close 11.59pm, October 3, 2026. T&Cs apply. PLANT OF THE WEEK! FLOWERING now – Tricyrtis formosana Autumn Glow looks like an orchid but is actually a lily and a perennial that loves a shady spot. Get 20 per cent off at thompson-Morgan.com/sunoffers. T&Cs apply. TIP: DON’T be tempted to cut back evergreen grasses this month, even if they’re looking a bit worn. Instead, gently comb out dead blades with rubber gloves and snip faded flower stems.Wait until late winter to lightly trim damaged foliage tips. MALVERN MARVELS: THERE’S still time to buy tickets for the UK’s largest harvest celebration, the Malvern Autumn Show, returning to the Three Counties Showground next weekend, Sept 25-27. It features the famous Canna National Giant Vegetables Championship, alongside celebrity appearances from outgoing BBC Gardeners’ World presenter Monty Don and actress Joanna Page. Food writer Chris Bavin hosts The Great Malvern Cake Off, joined by former Great British Bake Off stars. Enjoy the new Fun Farm and shop rare varieties at the prestigious RHS Flower Show marquee. See royal threecounties.co.uk. THIS WEEK’S JOB: KEEP picking corgettes, tomatoes and runner beans. Pick sweetcorn as tassels turn brown, sow cornflower and poppies direct into the soil. IT’S TOP OF THE POPPIES: THE field poppy is our most loved wildflower, according to Seed Revolution research. The scarlet bloom, historically symbolic of Remembrance, topped the seed firm’s top 10 list. Max Mancroft launched the company because he wanted to make gardening more accessible to urban flat-dwellers and traditional gardeners alike. The full top ten native wildflower list is: Field poppy Yellow rattle Cornflower Sainfoin Oxeye daisy Maiden’s Tears Bluebell Wild teasel Foxgloves Wild garlic The list is published at a sobering time. The nation has lost approximately 97 per cent of its species-rich grasslands since the 1930s, making meadows one of our most threatened habitats. You can sow wildflower seeds before late October – to get a load of lovely spring blooms. Comment now