This one natural ingredient will revive scorched grass and make your lawn green again this summer

News
By published

Don’t let summer ruin your lawn

Dry grass next to green grass
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Warmer temperatures are finally here, and it's the ideal time to get outdoors and fully enjoy your yard.

But if you’ve noticed that your once lush, green grass is starting to turn brown and dry, it can look rather lacklustre and unhealthy.

Luckily, there is one simple gardening trick you can do to revive dead grass — and make your lawn green again. What’s more, it’s chemical-free, eco-friendly, and more importantly, won’t cost you anything at all.

So what is this ‘free’ natural ingredient that will revive your green grass?

Lay down mulch

Gloved hands holding mulch

Gloved hands holding mulch (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Gardening experts swear by mulch as a great, natural solution to restore our lawns.

Essentially, mulch is a layer of organic matter such as compost, grass clippings, or bark chips, and is one of the simplest ways to add extra moisture into your soil.

Mulch will also help water to fully soak into the soil, without evaporating too much, which also means you can water less frequently.

What’s more, mulched grass clippings are made up of about 85% water, and contain all the essential ingredients needed for strengthening grass and soil.

"Adding organic material, such as peat or humates, can significantly boost the soil’s ability to retain moisture,” says Ryan Walts, expert and coach of Lawn Squad.

“This increased water-holding capacity helps reduce drought stress by ensuring more water is available to the grass. Plus, amending the soil with organics can help it to fight through high drought stress periods.”

Someone picking up mulch while wearing gardening gloves

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Take a garden fork or tiller and mix mulch into the top layer of soil until it’s fully integrated.

Simply take a garden fork or tiller and mix mulch into the top layer of soil until it’s fully integrated. Then give it a good watering to activate the compost and release its nutrients.

This should help to lock in the moisture on your parched, brown grass and revive it again — especially during hotter days.

You can also add a thick layer of organic mulch to your landscaped plants in the yard too, to help them survive the heat.

What’s more, mulch is relatively easy to make at home, and you can learn how to make mulch from fallen leaves, or check out these clever ways you can reuse grass clippings after mowing.

So if you want lush, green grass all summer, you’d better start mulching!

You might also be wondering can you still plant grass seed in June? Here's what the experts say.

More from Tom's Guide

Cynthia Lawrence
Cynthia Lawrence
Content Editor, Homes

As the Homes Content Editor, Cynthia Lawrence covers all things homes, interior decorating, and garden-related. She has a wealth of editorial experience testing the latest, ‘must-have’ home appliances, writing buying guides and the handy ‘how to’ features. 


Her work has been published in various titles including, T3, Top Ten Reviews, Ideal Home, Real Homes, Livingetc. and House Beautiful, amongst many.


With a rather unhealthy obsession for all things homes and interiors, she also has an interior design blog for style inspiration and savvy storage solutions (get rid of that clutter!). When she’s not testing cool products, she’ll be searching online for more decor ideas to spruce up her family home or looking for a great bargain!


You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.