Garden tips: How to maintain your lawn
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Lawn care is one of the most important gardening jobs to stay on top of all year round, and it will quickly show if you fall behind. Brown or bare patches are just some of the common problems faced by gardeners in the warmer months, but it is not alway clear how to fix them. Fortunately Express.co.uk has spoken exclusively to Marc Kerr, co-founder of So & Mo, the UK’s first subscription lawn care brand, on two simple ways grass can be “revived” for summer.
Discoloured blades of grass can make your lawn look lacklustre and untidy, and there are several possible causes.
Stunted growth can occur from simple wear and tear, but it could also be a sign of turf disease, soil compaction, or even insect damage.
Luckily, there are plenty of ways to correct brown or bare patches, and they are guaranteed to have lawns looking flawless by the time summer arrives.
With the weather warming up, grass can get “damaged” by paddling pools.
Marc suggested a way to fix lawns as a result to turn them back to a “healthy” green colour “quickly”.
He said: “If the kids paddling pool has been out for a day or two, use a rake to stand the grass back up.
“Grass is a hardy plant, and it should return to a natural, healthy green colour quickly.”
However, if the paddling pool has been there for a few weeks, the turf underneath will have died.
If this is the case the lawn specialist advised: “You can revive the grass by scarifying the discoloured patch and doing a light topdressing and overseeding.”
This essentially means working back and forth with a rake to clear dead grass, weeds and moss.
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Marc added: “The grass will show signs of recovery in a week, and it will grow again in two to three weeks.”
As well as fixing damaged areas, removing unwanted weeds is also key.
Gardeners can get weeds in their garden in the first place because they take over thin or bare patches quickly.
To get your garden in shape, Marc suggested: “Start with a clear-out, and you’ve got two options.
“Use a trowel or handpick them (don’t forget to wear gloves and remove the roots), or use herbicide weed killer – but we believe the trick is to remove them by hand, so you know they’re gone.”
Regular lawn maintenance will help keep the lawn as strong and healthy as possible to ensure there is no room for weeds to sow and compete for space on your grass.
Marc also pointed out that the more regularly gardeners cut their grass during the growing season, “the better”.
He explained: “Every three to four days will encourage the grass to grow thicker and healthier – this will also spot pesky weeds trying to take over.
“Did you know diagonal lines make your garden look bigger? In irregular spaces, use the contours of the garden and have wavy lines.
“The possibilities are endless – play around until you find something that works.
“A lovely striped lawn will be the envy of your neighbours, but changing the direction of the cut will stop your grass from laying over. If you don’t, you risk not getting a consistent cut.”
In order to “maximise a healthy topcoat” for lawns, they need to be fed with the “right nutrients”, according to Marc.
He said: “We feed our bodies with the right nutrients to stay fit and healthy, and the same theory applies if you want a happy and healthy lawn.
“With warmer weather and plenty of sunshine, we want to maximise a healthy topcoat.
“If you’ve subscribed to So & Mo’s seasonally adjusted lawn care plan you will have received or will shortly be receiving our summer application.
“Our mix of nutrients helps with recovery, so your lawn will still be going strong after a kickabout or a garden party.”
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