4 Simple Ways to Achieve a Beautiful Lawn
March 27, 2015 | Gardening Tips & Advice | No comments
Our gardens are our own little slice of paradise, but before we can enjoy the flowers being in full bloom, we need to carry out some hard work. And one such task is getting the lawn into shape.
Doing this will require hard work, but it will be worth it. And to give you a helping hand, below, we’ve outlined four of the key things you should be doing straight away.
1) Tackle Moss:
Now spring is here and we’re able to get out into our gardens, you may have noticed your lawn has become a victim to moss. Unfortunately, moss growing is an indicator your lawn isn’t healthy, and there are a number of reasons why it grows on your lawn.
Some of the more common reasons include poor maintenance of the lawn and scalping caused by cutting it too short. Another reason your lawn is likely to become contaminated by moss, particularly during the summer months, is due to a lack of water. It’s therefore vital to ensure when it’s hot outside, you are regularly watering your lawn.
2) Overseeding:
You can also help reduce the risk of moss forming on your lawn by “over seeding”. To over seed involves laying grass seed on top of already matured grass and allowing it to grow. This creates a thicker lawn, with less space between grass blades for moss to grow. It also has the added benefit of helping your lawn look healthier.
For those who’ve got moss covering their lawns, the easiest way to remove it without using chemicals is via scarification. This basically means using a spring rake and vigorously raking the lawn to pull the moss up. Or for those who prefer an easier option, consider using an electric lawn rake.
3) Cutting the Lawn:
Mowing the lawn is relatively straightforward and anyone can do it. But to get it right and to ensure your lawn remains healthy, it takes more than getting the lawnmower out of the shed and cutting the grass.
To help promote a healthy lawn, we recommend each time you mow, you do the following:
- Check the Lawnmower:
This is particularly important ahead of the first cut of the year. You need to check the blade on your mower isn’t blunt and that everything is working as it should. A blunt blade will see your grass become torn rather than cut, resulting in damage which will weaken the lawn.
Further advice on maintaining your lawnmower can be found in our previous posts “Don’t Let Your Lawnmower Ruin Spring” and “Prepare Your Lawn for the First Cut”.
- Clear Your Lawn:
It may sound obvious, but many of us fail to remove stones and twigs from our lawn before cutting. Failing to remove these can increase the risk of the blade becoming damaged. We also recommend removing any weeds from your lawn before you start mowing, as failing to remove the weeds can result in them being spread around the lawn, enabling them to grow in different areas.
- Mow Wisely:
If it can be helped, don’t cut the lawn during the hottest part of the day. Each time you cut the grass, you stress it. Cutting it when it is too hot (or too wet) can and will cause damage, preventing your lawn from looking healthy.
To help promote a healthy growth of your lawn, each time your mow it is recommended to change the direction you go, as this prevents grass from graining.
- Adjust Height of Blade:
Adjusting the height of the blade is important if you want to keep your lawn looking at its best throughout the year. As a rule of thumb, we recommend for the first cut of the season the blade is at its highest so only the top of the lawn is taken off.
As the season progresses, you can reduce the height of your lawn to achieve a closer cut.
4) Edge Your Lawn:
So you’ve taken the time to cut the lawn, ensuring it’s at a healthy length, that it is moss / weed free and other debris has been removed. Yet the edges of your lawn around pathways and flowerbeds look unkempt and too long.
How do you tackle these areas?
The best way to tackle the edge of your lawn, to ensure it’s as neat and tidy as the rest of the lawn is to tackle it with a trimmer or shears – the former being the most recommended, due to not coming with the associated back and neck strain.
Taking the time to take care of your lawn will go a long way to help ensure your garden is appealing during the summer months. So why not get out there today and give your garden the TLC it deserves – and let us know how you get on, by sharing your experiences in the comments below.
Tags: Gardening Tips, Lawn Care, Lawnmower Spare Parts