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Brits will always find something to complain about, especially when it comes to the weather. This summer, it seems that the main culprit is the soaring temperatures, leading to dry and brown grass. Up and down the country, parks and gardens alike have been hit with droughts and dryness.

But while our instinct might be to panic that our grass will never return to it’s normal greenness, leading to purchases of every 'miracle cure' that the garden centre has to offer, all is not lost. The UK’s top lawn expert and Chairman of the Lawn Association, David Hedges-Gower, says not to panic.

Nine major water companies have issued hosepipe bans across England and Wales.

Hedges-Gower says, ‘The dry weather definitely doesn’t kill lawns; grass has survived for hundreds of thousands of years; I call it a super plant because it always comes back green.’

Covering roughly 28 per cent of the planet, he says that grass is ‘the most adaptive plant we have’

‘There’s no big worry, it’ll come green again just like normal,' he says. 'During a hosepipe ban there’s very little to do. The grass will recover and bounce back, but the less you can do right now is probably better’

And yet while this lawn expert is confident that your garden will make a full recovery (within four to six weeks when the rain returns and temperatures drop), he does warn of the some of the myths that are actually damaging your lawn.

Using wetting agents

Of wetting agents, Hedges-Gower warns that, in addition to containing PFAS and forever chemicals which can damage the soil, ‘You need water to make them work, so using them during a hosepipe ban and drought is absolutely pointless.’

The Environment Agency declared a drought for the entire of London on 29 July 2026.

Forking

A common misconception is that using a garden fork can decompact your lawn. Hedges-Gower warns that trying this is 'actually pushing the soil even further apart’

He says: 'A garden fork wasn’t designed for a lawn; it was designed for a flowerbed and vegetable bed.’

Instead, he suggests using a hollow lawn corer which allows your lawn to decompact itself.

Fertilisers

‘Fertilisers with a high salt index will scorch your grass even more than it already is,’ warns Hedges-Gower.

He says that even natural feeds like chicken manure can contain dangerously high salt contents. He says: ‘They will burn the plant even in its dormant state and stop recovery’

Using a fertiliser with a high salt content can risk causing damage to your lawn.

Instead, he recommends using a fertiliser from True Garden, which has a low MPK value and uses selected food waste products in its ingredients.

Hedges-Gower also suggests that it's best to 'overfeed' your lawn before the end of autumn, doubling the recommended application rate. He says: 'Because your lawn has used up all of its food reserve, they need a bit extra. The lawn needs food to recover, just try to choose one that will benefit the soil more than damage it.’