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The hot summer weather may provide idyllic conditions for enjoying the garden, but it can be bad news for lawns. When temperatures are warm it can cause grass to become distressed leading to brown patches and a lack of growth, particularly if there hasn't been much rain.

This year the UK has been basking in a delightfully hot and dry summer which, while great for getting a tan, has put a strain on water supplies and resulted in drought in five areas of the country. Hosepipe bans have been imposed by Thames Water, Southeast Water, Yorkshire Water and Southern Water, so keeping lawns well watered is currently very tricky.

Water is essential to a healthy looking lawn as it encourages the roots to grow deeper into the soil, making your grass more drought tolerant, and helping it to absorb nutrients more effectively. But according to gardening experts, there is another natural way to help your lawn grow back stronger and greener - and all you need is some tea bags.

Lawns require fertilising to promote strong and healthy growth but you don't have to rely on expensive, chemical-based garden fertilisers as tea leaves serve as a much cheaper alternative.

Experts suggest sprinkling used tea bags and tea leaves on your lawn to promote strong and healthy growth. Tea acts as an effective natural fertiliser as it contains essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, which are all vital for healthy plant growth - including grass.

Not only that, it can also help to improve the structure of your soil and water retention, creating better growing conditions for your grass which will help to improve its overall appearance.

Lawn Love explains: "Compost tea isn't a warm drink to savour by the crackling fire. But your lawn (and your garden plants) would love to glug some down. According to the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, applying compost tea to the lawn helps spread beneficial microbes onto soil and plants.

"Compost tea also helps protect your turf from disease. The organisms in compost tea will consume available food sources and help outcompete disease organisms. The homemade fertiliser increases soil water retention, too."

If you have patches of brown on your lawn that need repairing, experts suggest covering this patch with used tea leaves and planting the grass seed within this. The nutrients from the tea will seep into the soil so when your grass grows back it will be healthier and greener.

As an added bonus, tea bags can also inhibit the growth of weeds, particularly if steeped in black tea, so if you have any pesky weeds in your lawn, this could be a great natural solution to banishing them.

You can buy a pack of 40 tea bags from Asda for just 40p, whereas garden lawn fertilisers can cost around £10, so it'll save you a decent amount of money if you try this option instead.