5 Keys to Perfect Lawns - Quick Guide To Lush Green Lawns for Anyone

5 Keys to Perfect Lawns - Quick Guide To Lush Green Lawns for Anyone
By C S Parker

5 Keys to Perfect Lawns

Introduction

We have all seen those lush green lawns and wondered how they managed to get them looking like that. The perfect lawn is a continuous labour of love and requires ongoing care and effort.

This guide aims to arm you with the knowledge you need to create the perfect lawn; results will vary depending on what type of grass you have.

Now all these tips will depend on where you are in the country, I'm in Newark in the East Midlands so if your up North then you will be running approximately 1-2 weeks behind these recommendations in Spring and about 1-2 weeks ahead in the Autumn. If you are down South then you will be 1-2 weeks ahead in Spring and 1-2 weeks behind in Autumn.

What it won't do is create the perfect lawn for you - that is down to the level of effort you choose to put in!

Mowing

During March your lawn will start growing and the first cut should always, ideally, be done whilst the grass is dry and early in the day or late on, about an hour before sundown. Whatever the highest setting on your lawn mower is, use it.

Once the first cut is out of the way you should be looking to mow at least once a week and then more frequently as the warmer weather arrives(if we get any).

From the second cut and subsequent cuts they need to be done on a lower height setting, somewhere between 5cm - 7cm and then maintained throughout the Spring & Summer(my back lawn is quite uneven and so I opt for a longer cut).

You can go down to 3cm on flat even lawns but be prepared for some extra work as shorter length lawns require daily mowing and feeding requirements are more demanding.

During the summer months the frequency of cutting will depend on the weather.

If its dry then you should be looking to mow at least every 2 weeks; if its hot & dry then you should look to raise your cutting height another 1cm or the next setting on your lawn mower. Should moisture levels be good, then cut weekly and leave your cutting height as it is(4cm-7cm).

Autumn is usually a good growing time for lawns and you should be mowing as frequently as necessary to maintain a tidy appearance.

Winter is all about keeping your lawn topped, so ramp up the cutting height for the Winter and maybe cut every 4-5 weeks.

Ensure the ground is firm, you want to avoid overly compacting the ground and that it is dry.

Tips on mowing

• Early is best before the sun gets to high - this avoids scorching the grass.
• Ensure you have sharp blades - this avoids ragged cuts which can quickly deaden your lawn.
• Alternate the direction you mow your lawn - this encourages healthy growth.
• If moss is a problem then come Autumn consider raising the cutting height - this will shade the moss out and it should die back over the Winter.

Over Seeding

Over seeding can be useful for helping to replenish tired or drought affected areas or whole lawns. Its important to ensure you have prepared your lawn prior to over seeding, this will allow the new grass seed to get properly established.

Begin by scarifying your lawn to remove thatch and dead grass and any other organic material that can inhibit proper germination with the top soil.

Step one is to select the right seed mix for your area, a little research online may be needed to get the information required but better that than picking up the first one you come across.

Then you need to give your lawn a good short cut, down to about 2.5cm-3cm so as to get as even a growth between new and old as possible.

Step two, spread this over the lawn as per the recommendations given by the manufacturer. Before spreading it is always a good idea to give the grass a good watering, this helps soften the ground for the new seed to germinate in.

Step three, allow 7-21 days for germination and you may have to water your lawn if you have had no rain in the 2-4 days since you over seeded. You then need to cut immediately after the new grass is established to prevent over competition from the old grass.

Try to avoid walking on the treated area as this will inhibit the new growth. Many professional lawn care specialists would also recommend you use a good lawn feeder if you haven't already prior to over seeding so that the new grass has plenty of nutrients to draw on.

Weed & Moss Control

Weeds and moss are at one time or another a problem we all have to face and it can be an uphill battle(my front lawn being a case in point); how do you deal with these issues and what are the best methods for your grass?

Personally I'm against the use of lawn feeders(read as fertiliser) and weed/moss killers; this is purely because it means you're working against your natural surroundings - Mother Nature will always win.

So first I'll discuss some natural ways to put weeds and moss to bed and regain the perfect lawn.

The best way to tackle any weed is to maintain a healthy and dense sward of lawn, moss is relatively easy to deal with.

Simply raise the cutting height so that the grass is putting the moss in the shade and scarify your lawn regularly and you should see the moss dying off and coming loose when you scarify after each cut.

In damp and shaded areas of lawn this may take longer to achieve; a much healthier and environmentally friendly solution to an easily managed problem. Once the moss has been dealt with then ploughing on with your maintenance schedule should encourage a robust and vigorous lawn.

Dealing with weeds can be a tiresome and ongoing problem, especially if like me you don't want to use weed killer on your lawn(kids, pets and a loathing of chemical treatment of a natural problem). Your strongest weapon for broad-leaf weeds - Dandelions, Plantain, Hawkweed, Cats Ear etc. - is a metal kebab skewer!

Lift the leaves up in to a tight bundle and grasping the weed slide the skewer straight down in to the ground close to the base of the weed, do this on four sides and wiggle the skewer.

Pull the weed straight up, pinching the base firmly between finger and thumb. If the root snaps then slide the skewer down the centre of the root; again wiggle the skewer to break the root stem up and then remove the skewer and remove as much of the root as you can.

Personally I've found this method to be effective with most weeds. You may find that this leaves a bald patch in your lawn, that's OK, simply cover in with grass seed mix and water.

For more delicate weeds such as white clover and creeping butter cups simply pull up from the base. This is time consuming and frustrating if you have anything but a tiny garden! Remember its the end result that matters, nothing but the end result matters!

The worst of all weeds is yellow suckling clover, this low lying weed avoids your mowers sharp steel blades and spreads quickly and hand remove as soon as you seen it.

If you see this in your lawn then make sure you collect all grass cuttings and scarify after every cut to help eliminate this pernicious weed.

There are various weed and moss killers available, read the label and select the one that suits you.

Soil Aeration

Compacted soil is a bigger enemy to your perfect lawn than weeds, it robs the soil of important oxygen that the microbes and fungi in the soil require to do their job.

These microbes and fungi are vital for the breakdown of dead grass and organic material, which further aids your perfect lawn by releasing important nutrients.

Without sufficient aeration your thatch will become so dense it further stops oxygen getting to the soil and limit your drainage and moisture absorption. All of which will hinder further your efforts to cultivate the perfect lawn.

You can aerate your lawn at any time of the year; with the exception of very wet soil or when frost is likely in the next 24 to 48hrs.

Shallower aeration methods simply aid the top soil and for badly compacted soils you should be thinking a garden fork(unless you have a clay soil - this will just add to compaction) and going at least 12cm in to the soil to help encourage deep root growth in your grass, which will help it become more drought resistant.

With the garden fork you should be going straight in to the soil, you are not digging your lawn over. You should aerate every 30-40cm and stagger the rows so avoiding a straight line across your lawn which could lead to a break up of the sward.

You could also consider using aerating sandals, strap on shoes with spikes on the soles. Generally they only get quite shallow penetration; this doesn't take away from their ease of use or the good that they will do your efforts for the perfect lawn.

For those with a larger lawn area you may wish to consider using a Sarel wheel, a large weighted wheel with numerous tines on it or even perhaps a mechanical solution that will carry out slitting.

Slitting is an invasive method of aeration; it involves removing small slits from your lawn and shouldn't be done unless conditions are good for recovery.

Lawn Feeding

There are 3 ingredients required by grass to achieve the perfect lawn(Well 4 if you include sunlight)...

• Phosphate for strong root development and growth.
• Nitrogen for faster growth and lush green colour.
• Potash for improved disease and drought resistant lawns.

Because of my personal preference to avoid chemical feeds my suggestions are based on organic solutions.

Phosphate
The easiest way to get phosphate in to the soil is to sprinkle a handful of bonemeal per square metre on to your lawn; don't worry if you sprinkle a little too much, you can't scorch the lawn so the exact amount isn't highly important.

Apply bonemeal in the Autumn, September is a good month. This will slowly release in to the soil throughout the coming year and help keep your perfect lawn in tip-top condition.

Nitrogen
This is so simple and easy that anyone can feed their perfect lawn at no cost at all. Every other cut simply leave the grass box off your lawn mower and let nature do what it does and all those amazing nutrients will naturally be re-incorporated in to the soil.

This is only viable if you are regularly cutting your lawn, as if the clippings are too long they won't bio-degrade and likely add to moss and disease attacking your lawn.

Potash
Whilst not essential to the perfect lawn, it does aid that lush, bouncy green grass you are looking for. The potassium contained in potash helps the grass' internal processes, respiration, photosynthesis and water retention. It also aides in producing proteins for thicker cell walls which make your perfect lawn much more drought and disease resistant.

The best form of potash is crumbly, slightly dry well composted organic garden waste. Spread very thinly over your lawn so it barely covers the grass and then rake it is so it sinks down in to your lawn. This method can be used in Spring or Summer, Spring is best as it gets your perfect lawn started early.

There are many chemical based solutions and suitable for different seasons and a quick look around any local garden centre will provide a suitable solution dependent on the time of year you are looking.

Close
This guide isn't exhaustive but is intended to provide a good solid method for achieving the perfect lawn. I hope that you find it useful and it helps you achieve the results you are looking for.

Feel free to share this with your friends and I wish you the very best of luck in your pursuit of your own perfect lawn.

Thank you for reading my 5 keys to perfect lawns.

Aladdin's Cave - Newark is my own attempt to regain some freedom in my life to enjoy my loved ones and friends and pursue the things that interest me. Offering lots of great value graded stock items and customer returns.

All checked and in good working order; many in almost brand new condition so that you can get store products without the shop price tag.

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