Lawns Advice with Q & A.
LAWN CARE A BASIC GUIDE. WITH LAWN ADVICE
Your problem solver for your lawns over Four Seasons.
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SPRING LAWN CARE------------
If taking an early cut on your lawn it is best to use a rotary mower, set the blades fairly high to avoid pulling the grass out by the roots. This type of damage is more prone to happen with a cylinder mower.
SUMMER LAWN CARE------------- AUTUMN LAWN CARE------------
When laying turf always prepare your ground in advance, then when the turf arrives it can be laid immediately. Laying turf is not the easiest of jobs and if a large job is contemplated employing a professional should not be ruled out.
If you do wish to do it yourself, there are many exellent publications available, dealing with the subject in greater depth.
Some recent questions and answers about lawns
Q.
My female dog leaves brown spots on my new lawn. Is there a remedy for this?
Sowing Grass Seed ----------------
Sowing grass seeds.
There is of course no control over the weather; you have to sow when conditions are right, sowing when it's too dry the seeds may fail to germinate or if too wet the seeds may rot away. So it is best to prepare your soil in advance, dig the land over early in the year,
this action aerates the soil, then when sowing time comes a light digging over with a fork will quickly dry out the soil and you can have a seed bed ready in a very short time.
When sowing your grass seed the soil needs to be warm and moist, just damp enough to stick to your fingers but not so wet that you can make mud pies out of it. It always pays to wait until conditions are right even if it means delaying sowing until a few days later. Seeds sown later in perfect conditions will soon overtake seed sown early in inclement conditions.
Rake the ground thoroughly, breaking up any large lumps of soil until a fine tilth is produced. Then scatter the seeds evenly over the area, after which you gently rake the seeds into the soil until they sink below the surface. Then firmly flatten down the soil with a flat spade.
There are various mechanical sowers available for the sowing of lawn seed. Choice of these depends on the size of your sowing area, many can be hired.
Mice can also be a problem when seeding new lawns.
When laying turf always prepare your ground in advance, then when the turf arrives it can be laid immediately. Laying turf is not the easiest of jobs and if a large job is contemplated employing a professional should not be ruled out.
If you do wish to do it yourself, there are many exellent publications available, dealing with the subject in greater depth.
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If the weather is mild the grass will soon be on the way, so it is best now to check over your lawn mower for defects before you begin. Check for blade wear, oil bearings and on electric mowers check the cables for damage.
Remember when working on your mower, always remove the spark plug lead on petrol (gas) mowers and always unplug electric mowers and other garden tools. Read makers instuctions and advice guide.
At this time of year lawns take heavy punishment, and a little time spent on maintenance will pay big dividends. If there is any moss in the lawn this can be removed with a lawn rake, also pull out any perennial weeds. Then apply any of the proprietary brands of lawn fertiliser; carefully follow the directions on the box with regard to application. This will then give you a lawn to be proud of right into the autumn.
Should your lawn be in a sad state of repair, now is the time to repair with turf, at this time of year when turf is laid it stays moist and the grass roots can grow into the underlying soil. Turf can be laid at any time of year, but in summer the turf can dry out and then the grass dies off in patches,
as often seen on new housing estates.
It pays to feed your lawn in Autumn with a high potash, high phosphate, low nitrogen fertiliser. This mixture promotes root growth in lawns, but without leaf growth, due to the low nitrogen content.
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and grass care. ------------
Q. Why is it that our lawn seems to take such a beating from our two dogs compared to our neighbours? The yellow spots seem to be almost impossible to keep up with this year. I had the gardener turn the soil over in the worst (1 ft diameter) spots, throwing some seed and top soil on to try and stimulate growth. However, it does not seem to be growing back very rapidly. Are there any other tricks of the trade to consistently combat this problem -and - when it does occur, what's the best way to heal the spots and regrow the grass?
Many thanks in advance for your response.
Q. I have a question regarding my grass.
Around the area where we keep our pool (small pool 15'x4' that we take down during the winter) there are holes in the ground that are about the size of a pencil. They look like plugs of grass and dirt have just been taken out of the ground. These holes were not there when we took the pool down last autumn, I have just recently noticed them. I was hoping that I could get some insight from you, and maybe get a solution to the problem.
Thank you in advance.
Valecroft
Thanks,
Chris
Make a private sand hole for your dog to use instead of the lawn. There are products on the market to repel dogs but they wash off in the rain.
Valecroft.
Q.
Good afternoon, I am eager to straighten out the dips and depressions in my lawn. The way I am doing it is to slightly break up the ground where there is a depression in the lawn, and put down earth to level the area. Should I simply wait for the grass to grow up through the new earth, or should I also sow some seed, and if so, should I sow now or wait till the spring? Most grass seed suppliers seem to recommend sowing in March.
Thanks in advance,
Steve.
Q.
Good afternoon:
Having recently moved into a new house I have a problem with my lawn, it is covered in clover, daisies and dandelions, how do I get rid of them without ruining my lawn, is it possible?
Kind regards
Russell
A.
There are selective herbicide sprays, which do not harm the grass, available at garden and agricultural outlets for this purpose. All the major chemical companies offer their own brand so you should have no trouble obtaining such. Read the label well before proceeding.
Question
Hi.........I saw your lawn care question and answer site and thought you could help. I just spent thousands of dollars on sod and sprinkler system last Fall on my summer home on Maryland's Eastern Shore.
I returned in the spring only to find large numbers of geese taking up residence on my new lawn. I spent hours picking up droppings and putting in a deer fence across the back adjacent to a pond. It helps, but they are still getting on the lawn. I am concerned that the new sod will not grow lush and green because of these menacing creatures.
Do you think the lawn will still grow? What treatments do you suggest I give it this spring? Any comments would be welcome.
Answer
A chemical called methyl anthranilate has been approved, to spray on the grass; this gives the grass a taste that the geese find repellent, but soon washes off. Ask at your local garden outlet or your local County or University outreach department about availability.
Geese are very intelligent birds and they learn and remember, so it is up to you to persuade them to go away by making their habitat untenable.
Feed your grass with a high nitrogen fertiliser to keep the grass growing, also a generous amount of garden lime will help the grass to establish itself and will also neutralise the acid effects of the geese droppings.
Valecroft Nurseries.
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After any seed sowing beware of birds, they sit and watch you sow the seeds, then swoop down for a free meal as soon as you leave the garden. So it is wise to cover the area with bird netting for a few days, or a light dressing of hydrated lime should keep them off for that early crucial period.
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Lawn Tips
Hints and Advice.----------------
Lawnmowers. ------- Motor mowers -------------
Always treat your lawnmowers with respect, they can be very dangerous. New lawnmowers nowadays are fitted with various safety features for your protection; do not disable these safety features. We find that some people do.
When buying a new lawnmower do not underestimate the demands you will be making on the machine. It is always better too spend a little more on a slightly bigger machine, rather than one which is not up too the job in hand. Most new machines have a guide to their performance envelope.
If considering buying used ride-on lawn mowers and larger self-propelled and tractor mowers; have the machine checked over by an expert.
We find that people who buy these larger lawnmowers, rarely, if ever, do any maintenance on the machine. Oil in the engine and gearbox needs too be changed on a regular basis. Also air filters and belts need to be checked.
Fertilisers. ----------------
There are fertilisers on the market specifically tailored to the demands of your lawns. In Spring you need a high nitrogen, low potash, low phosphate, mixture too encourage leaf growth, in Summer you need a medium nitrogen, medium potash, medium phosphate mix, so as not to encourage too lush a growth and in Autumn you need a low nitrogen, high potash, high phosphate, mix, to encourage root growth for next year.
There are also fertilisers on the market which incorporate weed killers and moss killers, even pest killers, read the directions on the label very carefully when using these products.
Watering. ----------------
Water only when necessary, do not make your lawns too dependant on artificial watering, due to work pressures etc, you may not always be around too tend over-pampered grass. Mechanical sprayers rarely lay the water in an even pattern, so watch for flooding in certain areas and minimal dosage in others.
Seed selection. ----------------
If sowing a new lawn, before purchasing the seed consider what demands you will make on that patch of grass. Are there children who will wish too play on the grass? Do you want the traditional striped lawn as featured in the up market magazines? Do you just want a low maintenance background to you flower display?
Although you may think, grass is grass; there is an amazing difference in the properties and strengths of the various varieties of grasses used in a lawn seed mixture.
All the major seed houses offer a wide range of grass seed mixtures, specifically tailored to suit the various demands made of the grass surface. Tell the seedsman exactly what you require and he will find you a mixture to suit your specifications.
Laying Turf. ---- Lawn Sod ----------------
Best left to the expert, however time spent on preparation of the site before laying the turf is the vital element of a successful turf laying session. But whether you employ someone, or do it yourself, it is vital to water, but not over water, the turf, lawn sod, on a regular basis until the roots are firmly established.
If your lawn is in a sad state of repair, Uutumn/Fall is the best time to repair with turf, at this time of year when turf is laid it stays moist and the grass roots can grow into the underlying soil.
Turf can be laid at any time of year, but in summer the turf can dry out and then the grass dies off in patches,
as often seen on new housing estates.
Remember, turf grass today is grown to suit various demands and with a reputable supplier you can specify your lawns requirements as you would with grass seed.
Valecroft Nurseries.
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Outside Links.
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