Everybody loves a bit of sun, sand and sea but the weather is always miserable when you get back, plenty of rain is beneficial for plant growth so when you get home and put the kettle on you’re greeted with a jungle of a lawn.

The type of mower you use can be the biggest problem and many cylinder mowers use rollers which cause problems by flattening the grass before the blades can cut it. Some seasoned gardeners often remove the roller assembly to control the length of the grass manually.

A common mistake is to try and cut the grass too short too quickly, the grass should ideally only be cut by a third of the total length at any one time to avoid weakening and killing the grass. Although it may be tempting to cut it all at once, it is worth being patient. Trimming a small quantity off will also make it easier and mean you don’t have to empty the trimmings every length of the garden.

Keep the grass clippings off the grass is a good idea to avoid hindering its growth. Once the grass is cut you should apply a liquid feed with a watering can to help re-establish and preserve it. A few days after the first cut the grass may discolour but the feed will help counteract this.

Your next step is to inspect the lawn for weeds, if there isn’t many it’s fine to use a weed stick to kill them but if there are lots all around the lawn a weed killing spray can be the best method. This is a good practice to keep throughout the year but especially after mowing the lawn for the first time in a while.

If your lawn has developed bare patches it is worth reseeding it using a rapid lawn seed to get it up to the length of the rest of the grass. The same rule applies for dealing with weeds in bare patches and if the problem persists it can be worth re-soiling.