There are obviously certain lawn care tasks that should never be undertaken during wet weather, but there are others that are better done then.
Mowing the lawn is one that should not be done – it’s a safe risk, can clog the mower, results in an uneven cut and can lead to soil compaction. Leave this job until the lawn has dried out.
Before the rain
Fertiliser should always be watered in thoroughly to ensure the nutrients get deep into the soil where they are needed. For this reason, and to save on water costs, apply your fertiliser when rain is imminent – the rain will do half the job for you.
During the rain
Unless you’d just like to sit and have a cuppa while it’s actually raining, the rain is a good time to organise your garden tools, equipment and consumables. Ensure any fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals are properly labelled and stored out of reach of children. Take this opportunity to maintain your lawn mower, whipper snipper and or leaf blower– checking the sharpness of blades, oil, petrol, sparkplugs etc. – and clean tools such as rakes, fertiliser spreaders, garden forks, shovels and the like.
After the rain
While the soil and the lawn is still moist you can undertake a few jobs. Dethatching the lawn using a strong rake is easier while the lawn is damp and causes less damage to the lawn. Aerating the lawn using a garden fork will be a simpler job when the soil is damp – lets the rake penetrate the soil without too much of a struggle. And weeding – soft, moist soil makes it a lot easier to remove the weeds by hand.
A bit of rain shouldn’t mean an entire week or weekend of getting nothing done in the yard – it’s just a matter of a bit of forward planning and being prepared to get your shoes a bit wet.
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