You may have noticed the wet weather in recent weeks has had a detrimental effect on the lawn and could have removed a lot of nutrients leaving the lawn looking yellow and impoverished.

This week has seen the start of the lush green and carefully manicured striped lawns at Wimbledon and soon we will be watching the same as the open golf championships appear on our tv screens.

It is a good practice to remove clippings however removing grass clippings also removes nutrients and often the lawn can lose its lush green appearance especially following periods of heavy rain.

If you do remove the clippings from your lawn then it might be at the growing point of the season when the lawn may require a small application of fertiliser to improve the appearance and keep it healthy through the rest of the season.

It is worth remembering not to over apply fertiliser in the current weather conditions as this can lead to soft lush conditions from excessive growth.

Keep nitrogen applications low in the fertiliser you apply, perhaps to four or five per cent, this is shown on the bags purchased in garden centres for example a 4-0-8 indicates 4% nitrogen.

We often see some common turf disease appearing in lawns during July and in to August is a common disease at this time known as red thread or pink patch can make the lawn look patchy and straw like in areas. This disease is quite distinct in its appearance and lives up to its name as it turns the leaf of the grass plant red or pink in appearance, closer examination shows an almost cotton wool or candy floss like appearance on the grass leaf.

This particular disease does not normally cause too much damage but can give an unhealthy looking appearance to the lawn. It is an indicator of low nitrogen level within the plant therefore a small application of fertiliser either applied as a granule or liquid will help to eradicate the disease and improve the overall appearance and condition of the lawn.

Another problem noticeable at this time of year is slime mould, algae and lichen. The fluctuating temperatures combined with rainfall have given the perfect environmental conditions for these types of lawn problems to manifest. It is common for this type of lawn problem to appear under shade or in compacted areas.

A good way to control lichen, algae or slime moulds is to aerate the area with garden fork or a more effortless way is to wear spike overshoes and simply walk over the garden allowing the spikes to make many small aeration holes in the lawn, the introduction of air in to the soil in this way. After aerating areas can be dressed with sand to level but also assist with drainage in the lawn and even apply a small amount of grass seed to fill any bare areas that may have appeared and very soon the lawn will look healthy and green again.