Residential lawns can have a very varied usage, and this can hinder implementing the ideal maintenance schedule in order to maintain a healthy lawn.
It will be impossible and a mistake to follow a strict timetable for maintenance, but tasks can be identified by the season, to be carried out when the weather is favourable.
Firstly, the ground (rootzone) must be kept well aerated. This is an aspect of lawn care that can often be ignored but in the short and long term so many things depend on this, not least the roots. If the soil becomes compacted this will impact on future root growth and in consequence the grass. Depending on the size of the lawn aeration can be carried out by hand or machining .
From January to March it can be very cold and frosty so when the weather is like this our advice would be don’t do anything. However, should the weather be favourable then this is a good time for aeration. Also make sure the lawn area is free from debris such as leaves, twigs etc using a wire toothed rake.
Also, it is a good idea to remove any worm casts again using a rake.
Should the weather change and the lawns start to show signs of growth then keep the mower cut height high.
Insider tip: Get your mower in for a service now before you can’t do without it!
On a similar note, now is the perfect time to start this season’s lawn treatment. We’re going to be focusing on 2 treatments in Spring; the first will be a combination of scarifying (using a special rake, or possibly a hire machine in your lawn is over 100 sq m) to remove built up moss and thatch, along with the application of a specially balanced combination lawn fertiliser/weedkiller/moss killer. This will be carried out in March.
The second follow up treatment will be in April, when it has warmed up a little, and the fertiliser/weedkiller/moss killer has had a chance to ‘do it’s thang’ – we shall overseed and top dress any bald or bare patches of your lawn, or just thicken up the overall coverage if your lawn looks quite thin. So, all going well, come May your lawn should be looking much more lush, thick, weed and moss free. Prices as per below for a rough guide of the costs involved, based on the size of your lawn;
Fertiliser (ICL 9 month slow-release controlled fertiliser)
Small (up to 10m2) - £10.00
Medium (11m2 to 20m2) - £18.00
Large (21m2 to 30m2) - £25.00
Very large (31m2 to 40m2) - £23.00
Lawn (combination fertiliser, moss killer & weedkiller – ICL Sportsmaster Renovator Pro)
MARCH
Minor (less than 10m2) - £5.00
Small (11m2 to 25m2) - £10.00
Medium (25m2 – 50m2) - £15.00
Large (51m2 – 100m2) - £20.00
Very large (101m2 – 200m2) - £25.00
APRIL
Norfolk Graded Top Soil (25kg) - £6.00 – allow one bag per 5 square meters of grass seed sowing
Estate Quality Grass Seed - £20/1kg/25square metres
£10/350g/10square metres
£5/smaller/5square metres or less