Top tips on maintaining your lawn

Some DOs and DON’Ts for getting the best out of your lawn.

Dos:

• Kill off any moss a week or so before scarifying, to prevent it from spreading to other areas.
• Thorough ground preparation is vital for a successful lawn. Start by raking your lawn as raking (scarifying) removes unsightly moss and eliminates the smothering surface thatch of dried grass. Rake vigorously across the grass (it will make the lawn look a mess, but it will save a lot of problems in the future and is a good long-term idea).
• Use an aerator to open up the soil in your lawn, relieving compaction and waterlogging – one of the number 1 issues in most lawns/gardens.
• Save time and trouble in the future by choosing the correct quality of grass seed. Use an appropriate mix for the lawn and its desired use. Cheap seed is usually just that, cheap seed. The old saying you get what you pay for is very true in grass seed.
• Once established, lightly trim the grass and then follow through with mowing every couple of weeks, reducing the cutting height as appropriate to the seed mix.
• Find out more in our lawn maintenance schedule.

Dont's:

• Panic if grass doesn’t appear in 2-3 days. Keep the area well watered until the grass is established and growing strongly. Water every few days if the weather is dry. Germination will typically take 2-3 weeks, depending on temperature and species of grass.
• Try not to use the lawn until the grass is well established.
• Forget to deal with perennial weeds as they appear to ensure they don’t deter grass growth.