Maintenance of your Lawn

A few simple steps can make a big difference to your lawn.  Here are our top tips:

Regular Fertilising:

Fertilising is easy.  Established Lawns should be fertilised as follows:

• In early Spring (to encourage growth after a cold winter)
• Late Spring to prepare for Summer
• Mid Summer if required
• And twice in Autumn (March and April/May) to prepare it for winter.

With a new lawn, apply a Starter Fertiliser at establishment then apply another approximately 6-8 weeks after sowing. Ensure the soil is moist when applying and water in thoroughly to avoid burning.

Raking/Scarifying:

Raking or scarifying will help aerate and improve your lawn.  One good raking or scarifying a year in the springtime is all that is required to help maintain a beautiful lawn. You can use a special type of spring rake for this purpose or machinery can be hired from a contractor.

BENEFITS:

• Moves the dead grass which prevents drainage and stunts growth
• Aerates into the crown of the grass plants.
• Improves water movement to the root zone.
• Encourages the formation of new shoots.

Spiking:

If your soil drains badly or is compacted it can be improved with spiking.  Spiking can be done once a year.  You’ll need to put in some effort but the results will be an aerated lawn with improved drainage, and more resistant to drought.  If you’re top dressing in Autumn it pays to spike it first.  Spiking can be done with an ordinary garden fork, with a special hollow-tined machine or with a solid spike machine.

BENEFITS:

• Aerates to the grass roots
• Improves soil drainage.
• Stimulates the growth of new roots
• Makes the lawn more resistant to drought in summer.

For more information on Aerating Your Lawn, click here.  

Top Dressing:

For a first rate lawn apply a top dressing on an annual basis. The mixture is usually made up of peat loam and sand. Minor hollows will be removed which have developed and an improved soil surface is gradually built up, encouraging new shoots and denser growth of your lawn.

BENEFITS:

• Stimulates the formation of new shoots.
• Promotes the development of runners.
• Encourages denser growth of grass.