Traditionally us Brits love a good lawn, whether that’s with crisp, geometric lines and intricate patterns that reinforce architectural designs, or the simple lush green carpet that creates a unified surface. There’s something we can’t quite put our finger on, but it’s obvious we love our lawns.

At Your Garden Needs we take great pride in managing our client’s outdoor spaces and often the lawn is a key part of that. A strong sward of grass will, in the long run, reduce the amount of labour and potential chemical application for weed and moss control, if that’s what you’re looking for. Check out our blog on Fancy something more floral if you’re looking for something a little different.

Spring and Autumn are the best times to get your lawn ready for summer. Whether it’s summer entertainment, a spot of sunbathing or to create some new and exciting patterns. The British lawn has long remained an important aspect of the garden, here’s a few clues to get it off to the best start and don’t forget our final tip.

If you have a moss problem and haven’t already dealt with it in the Autumn now is a great time to do this, but 1^st try and figure out why you have a moss problem. Are there drainage issues? Do you have a weak sward? Is there too much shade? Moss needs moisture to spread and often is found where grass growth is weak as bare patches are easily colonised by unwanted growth. Where there is moss there are problems and it’s always best to fix these before trying to renovate.

We would use a liquid application over granular as it allows a full and even coverage.

Scarification and aeration are in my opinion the two most important factors to keeping a healthy lawn. Scarifying removes moss, thatch and also prunes the grass’s stolon’s creating a thicker sward. Aeration reduces soil compaction, improves air exchange between the soil and the atmosphere, enhances soil water uptake, reduces water runoff and puddling and many other benefits. These two processes are the key to setting up your lawn for summer.

Your lawn at this point may be looking a little tired and a bit bare in places. Now is the time throw in some new grass seed to fill the gaps. There are many ways of achieving this but be vigilant at taking care of any new seed you lay down. Like any seed moisture and temperature is key. A new tetraploid grass seed is taking the lawn world by storm, allowing germination temperatures down to 5°C, faster germination, increased drought and disease tolerance. It is a product we use a lot when dealing with domestic lawns.

Now we let nature take over, nurturing it through tougher times we needed and before you know it your summer lawn is growing away quite happily. Give it a boost with a spring/summer fertiliser and remember when mowing not remove more than 1/3 of growth at a time.

Final tip. You may find that certain areas of new seed don’t germinate quite as well, or you can’t keep your beloved bet from doing their business on your new thriving lawn. Try pre germinating some grass seed with some moist compost before spreading it on the lawn. The emerging shoot from the seed known as the coleoptile provides a protective sheath around the grass blade allowing you to be a little rough when spreading it, master this technique and you’ll never have a bare patch for long again.

Now let’s get those stipes down!