 This week brings us to the end of the lawn mowing season with the last cut set a little higher to see the lawn through the winter and to discourage moss growth so we can start next years season with the lawn already looking good. Fallen leaves can be a problem for the lawn through the Autumn as they can encourage moss, disease and unwanted worm activity so don't forget to rake them up or give me a ring and I can help 01388 342142. You can send me an email on chris@champion-gardens.co.uk. or message me through the Facebook page
Champion!
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  The lawn in the top picture looks pretty neat after a good summer of mowing and lawn care and now is the time for the autumn treatments. First up is the scarifier. As you can see even after one pass with the scarifier a lot of dead grass and thatch is brought to the surface. Next is the aerator to get plenty of holes into the soil to improve drainage and to allow nutrients and oxygen to the roots. A slow release autumn fertiliser is then applied to promote root growth and to harden the leaves for the winter. If necessary now is also the best time to apply grass seed either to bare or thin areas or to cover the whole lawn as an overseeding.
 Moss usually appears as coarse, loose green or yellow tufts between the grass. It provides the grass with a very uneven colour and surface and makes the ground feel very spongy to walk on.
It actively competes against grass for growing space and depending on conditions it may well win which will leave your lawn with brown dead patches when it dies off in the summer. Some of the causes of the problem are mowing too close and mowing infrequently as well as poor drainage and shady areas. Once the moss has been removed, the lawn will need some help to recover. Aeration and fertilisation with some overseeding will keep the moss at bay and provide the lush green lawn you want. The green waste which is removed from the garden normally goes for composting but the moss is spread in the wood as it is ideal nesting material for birds. Don't forget to share with your friends and family who may need some garden assistance. Champion!  The unmanaged lawn in the picture has a moss problem!
Raking the lawn in the spring with a wire tine rake will help remove moss by pulling it out and break through the lawn thatch. The gentle action of the rake compared with the scarifier is less likely to cause damage to the lawn just as the weeds are becoming numerous. Scarifiers use metal blades to cut through the thatch and are much more aggressive and as such are suited to use in the autumn. Scarifying results in a firmer lawn that allows the passage of air, nutrients and water easily into it. The scarifier blades cut into the soil and open the soil surface and also ‘prune’ the grass plants because it cuts them downwards rather than cross cutting as in mowing. This pruning, just like pruning a bush or plant causes extra shoots to grow, thickening the turf. Champion!  Although stripes on the lawn aren’t necessary...…they do look good. Striping the lawn comes as standard with the annual mowing and lawn care package we offer. One of the next services this lawn will receive is an aeration in April. As well as relieving compaction, aeration also allows air, rain and nutrients to penetrate a hard surface, improves bacterial activity and helps reduce thatch. It also improves drainage from the surface, increases the water holding capacity and therefore stimulates rooting and root depth giving a more drought tolerant lawn. Champion! |