Pamper Your Lawn

Pamper your Lawn

Look after your grass like a pro, with these insider tips from our plant advisors...

Spring is the perfect time to pamper your lawn and prepare it for summer. So arm yourself with some expert know-how and come in store for everything you need to feed and weed your grass to maximise its strength and vigour. You’ll find time-saving gadgets, such as the EverGreen Drop Spreader, which makes lawn care easier than ever, along with nifty hand tools to help you keep on top of weeds and smarten edges. Before you start, have a quick tidy up and remove any debris such as sticks, leaves and rubbish that may have gathered during the winter months.

Cutting

Treat your lawn to its first trim a few weeks after temperatures rise above 5 degrees C, when the grass starts growing again. Keep the blades on their highest setting at first. Cutting the grass too short, too soon (known as scalping) can leave it vulnerable to disease and weeds. In hot weather, keep the blades of the mower on their highest setting; longer grass copes better in a drought.

Moss Control

Tackle moss by scarifying your lawn with a spring-tined rake. Ensure the blades reach down to the soil surface, and rake vigorously to remove all the dead grass and debris.

Moss thrives in compacted, waterlogged soil, so aerate it with a regular garden fork, inserting the tines to a depth of 10-15cm (4-6in). Repeat so the whole lawn is spiked then top dress it with a free-draining compost mix, such as Westland Lawn Dressing. Alternatively, try EverGreen No Rake Moss Remover Lawn Food. It contains naturally occurring bacteria, which digest the dead moss, together with a feed that will keep your lawn nourished for up to three months and helps prevent moss regrowth.

Feeding & Watering

Feed and weed with EverGreen Complete 4 in 1, a dual purpose fertiliser and lawn weed killer. Water it in well or apply just before rain is forecast. Then, a fortnight after use, remove dead weeds with a spring-tined rake.

If 2019 proves another scorcher, use water wisely. If watering with a sprinkler, choose the cool early morning or evening when the moisture will evaporate more slowly. Repeat every 10 days. Don’t worry if drought turns grass yellow; it is probably not dead will soon green up again when rain returns.

Repair

For a level surface, reduce bumps by inserting a space under the turf and rolling it back. Remove or add soil as required, then replace the turf. Water the repaired area well. Where wear and tear has resulted in bare or worn patches, sow over the damaged areas with MiracleGro Patch Magic. Rake the area smooth first, sow the seed, and then cover with bird proof netting. Water regularly.