Lawn Care – Questions, tips & advice

Grass responds to regular mowing. Mow once a week during the growing period. Never cut your grass shorter than 1 – 1 ½ inches and never remove more than 1/3 of its overall length at any one time. Always remove grass cuttings. Do not scalp the grass, especially in dry weather. If the grass is not growing quickly just give it a light cut to tidy it up. Let it grow longer in very dry weather – it will help it become more drought tolerant.

Lawns under shade and in sheltered positions stay damper longer and dampness encourages moss. Grass also requires a few hours of sun each day to grow healthily. If you can, cut back branches and shrubs to let light and airflow onto the lawn.

Grass enjoys and thrives in periods of warm, wet weather. It can also tolerate cold dry, cold and wet and hot and dry periods. Too much rain creates dampness and encourages moss. Too dry and the grass is stressed through lack of moisture.

All living things require water. Although grass can tolerate dry weather, prolonged periods can cause damage. If we have more than 2 weeks of dry weather you will need to water your lawn. If after walking on it your grass stays flat and does not spring back up then it also requires water. To water correctly leave a jar with a line ½ inch from the bottom under your sprinkler. When the water reaches the line, move the sprinkler to a different area and start again.

Try to remove leaves as soon as you can. Leaving them on the grass for just a few days can weaken grass. Grass needs to receive some light or it will die.

Weed seeds and moss spores are carried in the wind, land randomly and quickly establish themselves. Weeds are easier to control, 2 applications of a professional herbicide will keep your lawn 90% weed free. Moss is usually the biggest problem on most lawns and must be treated every year to avoid causing serious damage. A good moss control product turns the moss black. Dead moss must be raked out and seed sown in bare patches of your lawn