PROJECT PLANNING
FROM LUSH ON-TREND LOOKS TO GENERAL MAINTENANCE, WE ASKED THE EXPERTS HOW TO SHOW YOUR LAWN SOME LOVE
FEATURE MILLIE HURST, JAYNE DOWLE, GINEVRA BENEDETTI
So you want a lush lawn that provides the perfect setting for a summer of barbecues and social gatherings (and the envy of all your neighbours)? Remember, that it’s unlikely this will happen naturally without a little help, but lawn maintenance is certainly not an arduous task either. ‘A healthy lawn is a happy lawn that can be enjoyed year after year,’ says Timothy Greene, grass expert at icanlawn.com. ‘And keeping your lawn healthy doesn’t have to be a difficult job.’
CUT IT WELL AND OFTEN
‘Mowing the grass regularly throughout the summer is one of the most important aspects of lawn care,’ says Jack Sutcliffe, co-founder at Power Sheds (power sheds.com). ‘Not only does it keep your lawn looking neat and tidy, but it also promotes healthy growth.’
If you have ‘let the garden grow’ and your lawn is looking a little unkempt, fear not. ‘Ensure your mower is on a setting that will cut around 25% of growth, and leaves around three centimetres of grass length,’ says Jamie Shipley, gardening expert and managing director at Hedges Direct (hedgesdirect.co.uk). ‘If your lawn is cut too short, there is less leaf area to take in oxygen and sunlight, slowing root development, and the blade could also damage the crowns of the grass plants.’
IMPROVE THE DRAINAGE
Where lawns have become very compacted and are not draining well, use a lawn aerator; a very simple tool that has hollow prongs you push into the lawn like a fork. This will remove small plugs of soil which can then have lawn sand brushed into them, helping the lawn to drain faster. It can also be done by pushing a garden fork into the lawn and wiggling it around to break the soil and reduce the compaction.
If you have a wet, soggy lawn, plunge a fork into the ground all over your patch. Go as deep as possible every 30cm or so, and it will help with drainage and encourage healthy grass root growth. ‘This simple process can rescue your lawn if it’s been suffering from compacted soil, as it improves the flow of nutrients, air and water,’ Jamie from Hedges Direct explains.
