The rain has been torrential and there's been barely any good time to mow the lawn at the moment but with all this water comes a surge in growth so hopefully we will get a chance soon!
Here are a few pointers to keep your lawn in great condition ready for those barbeques once the sun returns.
Like I said there has been an abundance of rain so watering is not an issue at the moment but water logging can be. This can be vastly improved with aeration.
To aerate put a fork deep into the lawn and take it directly up again do this repeatedly every step or so. The holes will prevent compaction and draw the water out of the surface.
Be aware not to do it in very wet conditions as this will just muddy up the area and damage the surrounding grass roots.
Another way to stop water logging if you have a large garden with bad drainage issues is to plant some water loving trees such as the weeping willow or Birch trees. For smaller gardens shrubs like Azalea mollis or Euonymous (The burning bush) love a lot of water and will help dry out the site somewhat.
Not that we have to worry at the moment but drought can also be an issue. Browning lawns due to lack of water can often look like they are dead but will come back if given half a chance. Try to use a collected rain water when watering lawns as the quantity needed is usually quite large. This can be stored in a Water Butt.
Weeds! The bane of any lawn loving gardener. What I have noticed especially in Cavan is the amount of moss. It's the perfect climate for it here. You can combat moss in a number of different ways;
Scarifying - scarifying is basically the removal of old dead grass and also any matted moss.
It should be done around once a year during early autumn or early spring (avoiding frosty conditions).
There are a few ways to do it. The most simple is to rake the lawn using a basic garden rake. You can also buy or hire a machine for the purpose if you have a much larger area to cover.
If your moss problem is bad you may be left with very bare patches in your lawn after treatment which you can simply reseed after the task using Evergreen No2 Lawn Seed.
Unfortunately now is not a great time for scarifying but what you can do is use weed killer such as Green Force Lawn Feed, Weed and
Moss killer which while getting to work on the weeds will also give your grass a much needed feed.
Dandelions are another big lawn headache, although the bees do love them they spread prolifically and can quickly overcome a lawn. The best way to deal with these guys is to actually dig or pinch them out as soon as you spot them and before they go to seed. They can also be spot sprayed with weed killer such as Round Up Total Weed Killer.
Mowing regularly is very important for any lawn as it promotes healthy root growth but doing it at the wrong time can be hugely detrimental. Mowing is a stressful process to the grass so if is done when too wet, dry or frosty it can be very damaging and it will struggle to recover. So don't be over eager!
Finally and often overlooked is edging. Edging is neatening up the sides of your lawn using a spade or a purpose made edger such as an Eagle Lawn Edger With D Grip. To me no lawn looks right unless it has been edged, it's like the neat short back and sides in a hairdressers! It's best done in dry conditions and about an inch to a couple of inches away from the edge of the lawn and about an inch straight down, any old soil and grass from this can go straight into your compost patch (read our blog on composting for beginners)
Happy Mowing!
Sophie X
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