Metro Vancouver may be experiencing a soggier summer compared to last year, but an expert says your lawn still might not be getting enough consistent water.

Robert Hannah with Bur-Han Garden and Lawn Care says even though we’ve had a lot of rainy days recently, you need to make sure your lawn is getting an inch of water per week. Deep watering allows the water to percolate and draw deep into the roots, which will pull them further down into the ground and increase their drought tolerance.

“When it rains, you might get a lot of rain or a little amount of rain. You need to be monitoring that yourself,” he said. “If you get an inch spread out over a week but it’s a seventh every day, that’s really not enough for your lawn.”

If you don’t water enough and at the right time, your grass could develop shallow roots and that could lead to more problems later on if the weather gets warmer.

“As soon as we head into drier weather, that’s when you’ll notice it because your lawn will start to yellow very quickly,” said Hannah.

Hannah recommends giving your lawn an inch of water every week. If you’re using a sprinkler, he suggests placing a tuna can on your lawn and watering until it’s full.

However, gardeners should keep in mind that Metro Vancouver still has watering restrictions in place until October.

Other common mistakes people make when mowing are cutting the grass too short and using dull blades.

“A dull blade will still cut the grass but it’s really tearing the grass,” said Hannah. He recommends getting the blades sharpened every 12 cuts.

“Count on sharpening it twice a season,” he said.

Hannah suggests not cutting off more than a third of the blade of grass every time you mow. If you cut more, it could put stress on the health of the grass.

It’s also important to stick to a regular mowing schedule. Hannah suggests cutting your lawn the same day each week to maintain consistency. If you leave your lawn uncut for 10 days or more, it could stress out your grass.

There are also special fuels available made specifically to power your mower. Hannah says this is preferable to using regular gasoline since these fuels don’t have a lot of additives.

“This fuel remains stable for up to three years,” said Hannah. “These come from a different process in the refining. They come off at the top of the chain.”