For advice about your lawn call Sean today on 027 904 7506 or make an enquiry via our contacts page. Click here.
Caring For Your Lawn.
Once LawnSpecialists has completed your lawn make-over, a small amount of invested time in your garden can provide you with a groomed green lawn to be proud of. The following simple steps will help to keep your lawn - weed, disease and problem free and looking neat and tidy, enhancing the look of your garden as a whole.
Mowing
Regular mowing will prevent the grass from growing seed heads and will therefore keep it in a perpetual state of healthy growth.
Make sure your mower is in good running order with the blades sharpened. Set the mower blades to their highest setting. If the grass has been left to grow don't cut more than one third off it's height in any one mowing as your grass will become stressed and weak. Gradually cut down in subsequent mowings to an optimal height of no less than 2½ cm. Slightly higher in times of drought. This helps to limit evaporation and conserve water in the soil. Avoid mowing when the grass is wet as wet grass rarely cuts evenly and cleanly. For a finishing touch invest
in a line trimmer and edger to give your lawn a well manicured appearance.
Mowing
Regular mowing will prevent the grass from growing seed heads and will therefore keep it in a perpetual state of healthy growth.
Make sure your mower is in good running order with the blades sharpened. Set the mower blades to their highest setting. If the grass has been left to grow don't cut more than one third off it's height in any one mowing as your grass will become stressed and weak. Gradually cut down in subsequent mowings to an optimal height of no less than 2½ cm. Slightly higher in times of drought. This helps to limit evaporation and conserve water in the soil. Avoid mowing when the grass is wet as wet grass rarely cuts evenly and cleanly. For a finishing touch invest
in a line trimmer and edger to give your lawn a well manicured appearance.
Watering
Not everyone takes the time to water their lawns, often relying on rainfall to do the job. However if you're wanting the very best looking lawn you may want to provide it with some tender loving care of your own, especially in the dryer months. You don't need to water every day. This is not necessary and can be detrimental to your lawn. Frequent and brief watering only wets the soils surface, which produces retarded and shallow roots devoid of sufficient nutrients from the soil. This creates straggly sparse top growth with a propensity for weeds.
Your lawn will benefit instead from infrequent deep waterings in the early morning or late evening, enough to thoroughly moisten the entire root zone to encourage the roots to spread and grow deeply. The frequency will depend on the type of soil, grass type and the weather specific to your lawn. Portable sprinklers are suitable if you water only occasionally but if you want to water say once or twice a week an in-ground irrigation system could be a more convenient option.
Not everyone takes the time to water their lawns, often relying on rainfall to do the job. However if you're wanting the very best looking lawn you may want to provide it with some tender loving care of your own, especially in the dryer months. You don't need to water every day. This is not necessary and can be detrimental to your lawn. Frequent and brief watering only wets the soils surface, which produces retarded and shallow roots devoid of sufficient nutrients from the soil. This creates straggly sparse top growth with a propensity for weeds.
Your lawn will benefit instead from infrequent deep waterings in the early morning or late evening, enough to thoroughly moisten the entire root zone to encourage the roots to spread and grow deeply. The frequency will depend on the type of soil, grass type and the weather specific to your lawn. Portable sprinklers are suitable if you water only occasionally but if you want to water say once or twice a week an in-ground irrigation system could be a more convenient option.
Fertilizing
Lawns will survive without fertilizer but the general look of your lawn will be improved immensely if decide to use it. Fertilizer promotes new leaf and root growth, reduces weeds and replaces lost nutrients caused by lawn mowing and soil leaching. Spring is the best time to fertilize to prepare the lawn for the summer onslaught of higher temperatures and more usage. Follow the instructions on the bag with regards to how much to use in relationship to the size of your lawn. You will need to calculate the lawn area. Choose a balanced, all round fertilizer with an N:P:K ratio of about 11:4:8. If you want to fertilize again in Autumn it's a good idea to use one that is higher in potassium. This will help toughen the grass for winter. |
Weeding
Weeds are often the result of poor quality turf but can appear in even the best maintained lawns.
Hand-weeding is still the best defence on small lawns where the number of weeds isn't overwhelming. It's most effective against annual broadleaf weeds. Pulling them while they're young—before they flower and seed is the simplest way to prevent them from spreading. Once the weed is out smooth the soil, work in some compost, and patch the area with lawn seed. Keep the soil evenly moist until the grass is 1 inch high.
If you have a more persistent or overwhelming problem you may have to resort to some form of weedkiller. Lawn Specialists is an advocate of organic herbicides that are safe for the environment. Be careful though because organic herbicides are non-selective weedkillers so you will need to spot touch your weeds avoiding any spray touching your plants or grass. Remember prevention is better than cure. Taking care of your lawn as detailed above with regular mowing, timely fertilizing, sufficient watering and tackling new weeds early are the best measures for creating and keeping a well kept and manicured lawn.
Weeds are often the result of poor quality turf but can appear in even the best maintained lawns.
Hand-weeding is still the best defence on small lawns where the number of weeds isn't overwhelming. It's most effective against annual broadleaf weeds. Pulling them while they're young—before they flower and seed is the simplest way to prevent them from spreading. Once the weed is out smooth the soil, work in some compost, and patch the area with lawn seed. Keep the soil evenly moist until the grass is 1 inch high.
If you have a more persistent or overwhelming problem you may have to resort to some form of weedkiller. Lawn Specialists is an advocate of organic herbicides that are safe for the environment. Be careful though because organic herbicides are non-selective weedkillers so you will need to spot touch your weeds avoiding any spray touching your plants or grass. Remember prevention is better than cure. Taking care of your lawn as detailed above with regular mowing, timely fertilizing, sufficient watering and tackling new weeds early are the best measures for creating and keeping a well kept and manicured lawn.
Need more advice? Call Sean on 027 904 7506 or make an enquiry via our contacts page. Click here.