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 Being
the key element of a garden, the lawn, with its rich calming background,
needn't mean hours of hard work. Just a short time each week with
a yearly MOT should keep it tiptop condition. |
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| For the first few cuts of
the year, the blade should be set high as the growth restores. Mow
once a week in spring and autumn and twice a week in the summer months.
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| Spring is the time to
spike the lawn and feed with a high nitrogen fertiliser. Feed can
be liquid or solid. Solid feeds are usually longer lasting and often
found in combination with weed killers. The lawn can be feed again
in the autumn. |
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| Applying a weed and
moss killer early summer not only kills unwanted debris but also helps
the colour to intensify. Rake out the dead moss around a fortnight
later. |
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Raking the lawn a few
times a year (spring, early summer and again, more vigorously, known
as scarifying, in the autumn) or after applying weed killer, removes
the unwanted moss and 'thatch' that builds up over the months. It
only takes a short time and gives the lawn breathing space. A layer
of moss usually indicates poor drainage. Rake out with a metal rake,
or hire an electric scarifier, until all the thatch is removed being
careful not to remove too much growing grass!!
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Repair bare patches either turf or seed, ideally a dwarf
ryegrass (being finer and denser than ordinary ryegrass). It needs
to be persistent and spreading for total ground cover, disease resistant
and able to withstand close mowing and hard wear. For problem areas,
use the appropriate seeds or turf.
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| Remove worm casts regularly
as when flattened the bare earth makes a seed bed for weeds. Discourage
worms by removing lawn clippings and dead leaves. Brush the casts
before mowing. |
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| For a well-groomed finish,
trimming the edges instantly makes the lawn look crisp and sharp. |
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| Badly drained areas
are best aerated with a fork or an aerator and brush sharp sand into
the air channels. Doing this once a year will enhance your lawn by
allowing the water to soak through down to the roots. This also promotes
growth stimulation and relieves compaction by preventing the top layer
of soil becoming too hard. |
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| Starting again? Sometimes
its the best option. Laying new turf is initially the more expensive
way to a new lawn but it's instant and less time consuming in the
long run. read
more... |
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