When temperatures soar, your lawn is often the first thing to suffer. That familiar sight of yellowing, crunchy grass can feel alarming — but before you reach for the hosepipe in a panic, here’s what you actually need to know.

Don’t worry about a bit of brown

Grass is tougher than it looks. Most lawn varieties will naturally go dormant during a heatwave, turning straw-coloured as a survival mechanism. This isn’t death — it’s your lawn having a sensible lie-down. Once rain returns, it will green up again within a couple of weeks. Resist the urge to over-water; inconsistent watering during drought can actually cause more harm than leaving well alone.

If you do water, do it properly

If you want to keep your lawn green, water deeply and infrequently rather than giving it a light daily sprinkle. A thorough soak two or three times a week — ideally early morning before the heat builds — encourages roots to grow downward in search of moisture, making the lawn more drought-resilient in the long run. Avoid watering in the midday sun; much of it will simply evaporate before it does any good.

Put the mower away

During a heatwave, leave the grass longer than usual. Taller blades shade the soil beneath, reducing moisture loss and keeping roots cooler. Raise your mower’s cutting height, and if the ground is hard and dry, skip a week or two entirely. Cutting stressed grass short is one of the quickest ways to do lasting damage.

Hold off on feeding

Fertiliser encourages growth, which demands water — exactly what your lawn doesn’t have right now. Save the lawn feed for cooler, wetter conditions when the grass can actually make use of it.

With a little patience and restraint, your lawn will come through the heat looking better than ever.