 Mowing
By far the most common mistake made in lawn care is cutting too
short. It makes the grass prone to wearing out quickly and far more
vulnerable to drought.
It's tempting to go for the short-back-and-sides to try and cut
down on the frequency of mowing but it's much better for your lawn
to just take off the top third of the height and not to go much
below about an inch in length.
Starting around March (depending on weather), a light cut once
a week will keep the lawn tidy and healthy. In the summer at peak
growing time (June - early August), you may need to cut twice weekly
to keep your lawn in peak condition.
Clippings - to leave or not to leave
If you mow at regular intervals as suggested above, then it's not
always necessary to remove clippings. If the clippings are small
enough, they can act as a mulch and return nutrients to the soil.
Mulching mowers recycle your grass cuttings as as a nitrogen-rich
mulch and return the nutrients in the grass to the soil. They have
special blades which reduce the cuttings to a fine mulch. The lawn
does not look like someone's forgotten to rake it! more
on mulching mowers
If you do leave clippings on your lawn, it's important that they
are not left to lie around in clumps as this can cause the grass
underneath to die off and also encourage moss growth.
Scarify
Use a wire 'springy' rake to scarify the lawn at the end of summer.
Scarifying is simply drawing the rake across the lawn to remove
dead grass, moss and debris.
If that sounds bit too energetic, you can use an electric lawn
raker to great effect. Some mowers also have attachments which can
be fitted to achieve the same results.
The lawn may look a little threadbare after you've done this but
it'll soon recover and be all the better for the effort.
If you really want a quality lawn then aerate after scarifying.
Use a garden fork or an aerator with hollow tines. Drive it in about
six inches and wiggle to loosen the ground and help with drainage
and compaction.
Fertilise
A regular application of fertiliser during the growing season will
improve the lawn and help keep it green and free of weeds. Try one
of the many proprietary brands and follow the instructions carefully.
A common mistake is uneven distribution so if you're not using
a mechanical spreader, it's a good idea to divide up the lawn with
string and pegs to ensure that you put the right amount per square
yard.
If you prefer a liquid feed or if you want to fertilise the lawn
in dryer weather, there are dispensers available which fit onto
a hosepipe and pump a measured amount of fertilizer into the water.
Water
Regular watering in dry weather is becoming more and more important
as our summers seem to get hotter. It's better to give the grass
a real soaking now and again rather than a gentle watering more
often.
If you're on a water meter or there's yet another hosepipe ban
consider using rainwater or waste water from the bath to irrigate
your lawn or water your flowers. Methods of collecting water range
from a simple butt attached to the garage or shed guttering through
to complex grey water irrigation systems.
For watering the lawn in dry weather, a simple diverter attached
to the external bath outlet pipe can pay for itself in no time if
you're connected to a water meter.
grey
water irrigation (external link - opens in new window)
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