Garden tips: How to maintain your lawn
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Lawn care is important all year round, but especially when the weather starts to slightly warm up. Once the weather warms up in spring and grass starts back into growth, it’s a good time to give lawns some extra care and attention, to prepare it for the summer. However, Paul Hicks, product and marketing manager at STIHL, has urged gardeners to make sure they avoid certain “lawn care no-nos”.
1. Cutting the grass too short
Many people think that by cutting the lawn on the shortest setting, they are reducing the number of times it will need to be mowed, however Paul warned that they are actually “putting the grass at risk from weed invasions and grub infestations”.
He instructed: “You should only cut off one third of the length at a time as grass thrives when it has a larger leaf area.”
Most lawnmowers will have a central cut-height adjustment to make it simple to cut the grass to the most suitable length.
2. Leaving fallen leaves on the grass
Whilst fallen leaves can look very picturesque, if left, they can prevent sunlight from reaching the grass, therefore “suffocating it”.
The lawn pro explained: “In fact, leaves only need to be left for three weeks before they can start to damage grass and cause a muddy mess.”
To make clearing leaves as easy as possible, it is worth investing in a leaf blower for a quick clear of the lawn.
3. Covering areas of the lawn
Whether it be a football goal, paddling pool or garden furniture, lawns are rarely free from objects, especially during the summer months.
However, it is important to get out of the habit of leaving things out, as this can “damage the grass”, warned Paul.
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He said: “Items left on the lawn can cause bald patches to appear, or during hotter months, can cause the grass to discolour and become yellow.”
4. Overwatering the lawn
It is a common misconception that your grass needs watering every day. It can actually become dependent if it has too much water.
So instead of watering every day for 15 minutes, the expert recommended choosing one day a week to water the lawn for a longer period of time.
He said: “This will make the lawn healthier and more drought-tolerant.” This is perfect if the UK receives a hot summer like the previous year.
5. Letting the grass grow too long
Whilst it is important not to mow the lawn too short, as mentioned earlier, it is also best not to wait too long between mowing.
Paul said: “On average, it is advisable to mow twice weekly during the summer months and then drop this to once a week during spring and autumn.”
This will produce a much denser turf than if the grass is cut every two weeks.
A dense turf is the best looking and a great form of natural weed control as it prevents weed seeds from contact with the soil.
6. Leaving bare patches
Bald patches aren’t uncommon and can form due to over-mowing, over-raking or heavy lawn scarifying, but when they appear, it is best to “act quickly “to prevent them becoming “a breeding ground for weeds”, urged the expert. He said: “The best way to restore bald patches is reseeding them.”
7. Forgetting to scarify
According to Paul, scarifying is “essential” for keeping a lawn healthy, as it removes thatch and moss, which, if left, can prevent good dense grass growth.
He explained: “By penetrating the soil surface, scarifying allows light, moisture and essential nutrients to be absorbed by the grass roots.”
Gardeners can scarify with either a rake or, for a more thorough approach, use a dedicated machine to gently lift-out any growth-inhibiting moss, thatch and flat growing weeds.
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