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A vibrant green lawn provides the perfect backdrop to thriving vegetable beds, colourful borders or pathways. It provides a space for summer get togethers, family picnics or lazy evenings outdoors. Paired with some well chosen garden furniture, a good lawn will add a whole new dimension to any home. However lawns do need regular maintenance to remain in good condition.
Lawn Maintenance
If a traditional short and tidy lawn is desired, you will need to mow regularly between the months of March and October. During the summer months grass generally grows faster, and a weekly mowing can be required. If there is a prolonged period of drought, avoid close mowing as this can weaken or stress vulnerable grass.
There is much debate about whether lawns should be free of 'weeds', especially in spring when these native wildflowers can provide food for pollinators. However many people combine a traditional neat lawn space with small patches that are left to grow more 'wild'. In winter lawns are largely dormant, and mowing is not recommended as it can cause compaction when grass is wet or conditions are frosty.
Lawn Feed
A good quality lawn feed will add nutrients to the soil and encourage more vibrant, greener and thicker growth. It is best used for lawns that are lacklustre or deficient in nutrients; adding feed to a healthy lawn is not necessary and is often wasteful. Leaving grass clippings on the lawn surface can return nutrients and organic matter to the underlying soil.
Lawn feed can be applied in spring or autumn (if the latter make sure that it's a type that encourages root growth rather than leafy growth). Feed should ideally be applied just before rain (to wash the feed into the lawn); if no rain is forecast then just water the area after application. There are plenty of varieties of lawn feeds and fertilisers available. Some of them are designed to be child and pet friendly, but double check any instructions if you want to keep using the lawn after application.
Lawn Weed Control
Remove weeds as soon as the appear, or are noticed. Weeds will end up fighting with the grass for nutrients, sun and water. The manual approach to lawn weeding is always best; doing it by hand or with a weeder. If you find that weed control products are needed then try to stay natural and avoid chemicals. Removing cut grass and leaves as soon as possible will prevent them from smothering the lawn. Bare patches are an annoying reality with every lawn, it's best to put down some grass seed as early as possible to get it growing green again. A bare patch could be caused by any number of factors including a lack of aeration or an area damaged by foot traffic or animals.
Aeration
If there is insufficient aeration in the soil, it will get compacted and will hinder the establishment and growth of the grasses root system. Aeration just means adding air to the soil to better allow water and nutrients to reach the roots. Spotty growth is the first sign that grass is being choked and if left untreated it will lead to muddy patches. Any gardening fork is all that is needed to fix this but there are plenty of lawn aerators also available for the task. Push the fork into the lawn about one third the way down the tines and rock back and forth, repeat the action at small intervals. This may only need to be done once or twice a year depending on the severity of the problem.
Watering
We live in a climate with ample rainfall for thirsty lawns, in the event of an extended hot or dry stretch in the summer the lawn will need to be watered. A good sprinkler will always do the trick, but even better is to use captured rainwater from a water butt or barrel. Lawns, like plants, prefer rain water to the treated alternative that is plumbed in to our homes. You can generally tell when a lawn will require water but when the blades of grass begin to look a bit yellow in places it is definitely time.