Try to start watering the lawn before the grass turns brown. When watering, make sure you soak the grass once a week rather then giving it a light sprinkle more often - frequent light watering will encourage shallow roots to form which means the lawn grasses will be more prone to drought. Always water in the evening to reduce water loss through evaporation.
Do lawns need feeding?
Most garden lawns need an annual application of nitrogen to maintain vigour and keep the grass looking healthy. The best time to apply a high-nitrogen lawn fertiliser is in spring when the grass is growing fast. You can also feed your lawn in autumn to help it build up a good root system and produce tough growth that can shrug-off diseases. Use a special autumn feed that has been formulated to promote the right type of growth. Do not use a spring feed because it contains the wrong nutrients and will only encourage lush new growth that will be susceptible to frost damage.
Is raking necessary?
Raking the lawn with spring-tined rake helps prevents the build up of thatch - a mat of dead material at the base of the lawn grasses. If it gets too thick, the thatch can smother the grasses and reduce the vigour the lawn. If the layer builds up over 2.5cm water cannot soak through and the possibility of disease is increased. If needed, raking can be done every spring and autumn. Raking is hard work, so for large areas you may be better off buying or hiring a powered scarifier which does the job for you. A spring-tined rake is also the best way to clear autumn leaves from your lawn. If left for more than a week, or so, a layer of leaves will start to smother the lawn grasses and will eventually kill them.
How can I control lawn weeds?
Provided you mow regularly to the right height, your lawn will remain dense and vigorous and keep weeds at bay. If weeds become a problem, most are easily tackled using a lawn weedkiller treatment. Isolated weeds should be controlled individually by digging them out by hand using an old kitchen knife or using a dab-on weedkiller. An all-over lawn weedkiller treatment may be necessary if the weed problem is more widespread. The best time to apply a lawn weedkiller is when the grass and weeds are growing strongly and the soil is moist. Do not apply lawn weedkillers if rain is expected. Difficult lawn weeds may require several applications before they are eradicated. There are also combined lawn feed and weed as well as lawn feed, weed and mosskiller treatments available so these jobs can be done in one go.
How can I get rid of moss?
Moss can appear in any lawn after a cool, winter, but should disappear once the grass begins to grow in spring. If it persists, its either because the grass is not growing properly or the lawn is poorly drained or shaded. Although it is relatively easy to get rid of moss with a lawn mosskiller treatment, the moss will return unless you can tackle the underlying causes which encourage it. Poorly drained lawns can be improved by spiking and top-dressing with sharp sand while shade from nearby shrubs and trees can be reduced out by judicious pruning. Otherwise, re-seed the lawn using a shade-tolerant grass mixture or consider replacing the patchy shaded lawn with low-growing groundcover plants instead .
Should I spike my lawn?
Lawns that are walked or played on a lot can become compacted which impedes drainage and aeration. The best way of overcoming compaction is to spike the lawn once or twice a year. For small areas use a garden fork - pushing the tines at least 8cm into the lawn and wiggling the fork back and forth to create holes. Repeat the process over the entire compacted area, spacing rows of holes a 10cm apart. For larger areas consider hiring or buying a powered aerator.
Is top-dressing necessary?
Top dressing is used to level out minor humps and hollows to produce a perfectly even lawn surface. For most lawns it is not necessary. However, if you are trying to create a 'bowling-green' quality lawn, apply a ready-made top-dressing or make your own out of an equal-parts mixture of sieved garden soil and sharp sand. Apply it at the rate of 1kg per square metre. Then spread it evenly using a piece of timber or the back of a soil rake. Do not apply more than 12mm of top-dressing in one go to any area because you will smother the grass. The best time to top-dress your lawn is September.
