Autumn is well under way and the recent rain is a welcome boost from the dry Summer and early September. To help keep your lawn in great condition over Autumn read on for our top tips and advice.
1. Nutrition
A healthy grass plant needs a wide range of nutrients. A balanced lawn feed for the time of year, taking into account the weather, grass condition and soil type/moisture levels is key. Get this right and the lawn will look great. For Autumn we focus on nutrition to make the grass healthy and lush green, rather than encourage it to grow. We are visiting customers now for our Autumn lawn treatment (feed, weed and moss control). Book yours now if you are not yet a customer.
2. Mowing in Autumn
Regular mowing is essential for a good lawn (as are sharp mower blades). It will allow the grass to thicken up naturally. Don’t worry about the time of year – If your lawn is growing it will need cutting in Autumn and early Winter. Take no more than 1/3 off the grass height each cut. Raise the mower height as you need to keep the grass longer when there is less sunlight. Don’t cut the lawn short thinking you won’t need to mow for a longer period this time of year. Remember if you cut it too short you will encourage moss to take hold and weaken the grass.
3. Shade – the enemy of grass
Shade will limit grass growth, cause thinning out of the lawn, encouraging moss and weeds. Where possible cut back overhanging vegetation, particularly along borders, to increase sunlight to the lawn. Under trees you may find the grass becomes sparse and moss builds up. Having the right type of grass in such areas is key. In Spring or early August we can repair or renovate those areas with the best quality shade tolerant seed to help maintain a lush green coverage longer term.
4. Clear those leaves!
Ensure you regularly clear leaves off your lawn. If left in place for even a few days over Autumn they can kill off patches of grass underneath or encourage unhealthy growth and lawn diseases. Go over with a mower on a high setting if the ground is not to wet or frosty. Otherwise use a blower or rake. Place the collected leaves in a compost pile as they will break down to form a beneficial compost for other areas of your garden.
5. Let your lawn breath
Aeration is needed at least once annually and will provide long lasting benefits. It will promote good soil oxygen levels, create air spaces for grass roots to grow, allow water and nutrients to reach the roots and improve surface water drainage (reduces moss too). This all helps improve microbial activity in the soil that’s vital for turning nutrients into food for healthy green grass. We schedule our customer’s aerations from mid November over Winter. If you do not have an aeration service in your lawn care plan, please get in touch for a quote to book that in.
Soil Health – essential for a good lawn
We are passionate about improving soil health as it will result in a more healthy grass plant and a beautiful lawn. Aeration(Autumn) is one process, as is scarification (Spring/Early Autumn) to help the soil. We can also offer a natural soil improver treatment for any soil type that’s perfect for applying this Autumn with ideal ground conditions. It’s great for clay soils that have low organic matter which make the soil particles so tightly packed together that air and water cannot penetrate. Leading to water logging and soil compaction. Our soil improver treatment will:
- Improve the soil structure by increasing natural aeration, availability of nutrients and enhance the soil’s natural eco system. Help loosen up compacted, hard soils and clay soils, plus release locked up nutrients. It’s great on clay as repeat applications reduce the “claggyness” of the soil when it’s wet.
- Contact us today for a personalised quote and save 10% when having your soil improver treatment at the same time as your lawn aeration.
