October LAWN TIPS

As September comes to an end, we’ve been confronted with some quite impressive rainstorms that have caused some localised flooding: In areas that have seen large amounts of flooding, the receding waters can leave sediment; this can be potentially hazardous waste from flooded sewers or industry. Please wear protective gloves, eye protection and a dust mask as a minimum level of protective clothing when you come into contact with the sediment. Seek advice from your local authority or the Environment Agency for further guidance. For those who haven’t started their autumn lawn renovations, October is really the last month that you can; once the weather turns cold, it will be too late. Emphasis should be on the type of renovations required and the materials needed. The work you do this autumn will have positive effect on the look of your lawn next spring/summer. These renovations can be – • Scarification – thatch (the build-up of excess organic matter on the surface of the soil) will hold water like a sponge, encouraging the proliferation of moss and reducing the need for the grass to develop a deep root base. This makes the grass plant less tolerant of dry weather as the roots cannot find moisture. Thatch can also harbour turf diseases such Fusarium. • Aerate the lawn with either Solid or Hollow tines. The alleviation of compaction in the surface of the lawn will allow the movement of both air and water through the top layer of the turf. This helps with drainage and therefore helps prevent moss and also encourages root development within the lawn. When hollow tining, the cores will have to be removed; these can either be disposed of or recycled as a dressing for the spring or next autumn. • Reseed the lawn in areas where the grass is thin or patchy; it is also as a way of adding newer more vigorous grasses into the sward. • Top dress the lawn with a soil/sand mix can be used to cover the recently applied seed and to remove dips and hollows from the lawn. Once applied, use the back of a garden rake to level off the dressing. Do not bury the grass, always ensue that it is showing through the top dressing, otherwise you can ‘suffocate’ and kill the grass beneath it. • Raise the height of cut after renovations to 30-40mm, any lower and you encourage the build-up of moss within the lawn. The less light that can get to base of the sward the less moss spores that are able to germinate. • Fertilise the lawn with an autumn, winter fertiliser; these are usually low in Nitrogen but have a higher amount of Phosphate and Potash than summer feeds. These two last nutrients help with root development and strengthen the plants’ cell walls, therefore allowing the turf to go into winter with stronger and healthier plants. • This is also the time that trees shed their leaves, so leaf collection should be done at regular intervals. If leaf litter is left, it will stop the light from getting to the grass underneath and, as the nights draw in, the grass in the lawn will need all the light it can get. • Continue to trim lawn edges as and when required, with edging shears to keep them looking neat and tidy.