Here are 3 essential steps to keeping your lawn thick and healthy throughout the year. Once you've achieved a great lawn it can be a real shame to let is deteriorate as it can require starting from scratch again.
1. Fertiliser
Each season requires different nutrients for your lawn to thrive and cope with whatever conditions the temperamental UK weather can throw at it! Without fertiliser the grass will not thrive as well as it can do, which can increase the likeliness of weeds, moss and pests infesting the lawn.
Ideal NPK ratios for each season:
Spring
In spring you need to feed your lawn with nutrients to maintain lush growth without the need for excessive mowing.
Ideal NPK: 22-5-10
Summer
In summer you want to be aware of drier spells so a slow release fertiliser is always best. Keep nitrogen levels high for a lush lawn
Ideal NPK: 19-3-9
Autumn
Time to prepare the lawn for colder months ahead. Lower levels of nitrogen should be used to maintain green colour while avoiding disease-prone soft growth.
Ideal NPK: 10-5-10
Winter
Use a fertiliser or conditioner to support root development for strength over the colder period to prevent disease.
Ideal NPK: 6-5-10
Additional Products
There are a number of additional products which will definitely help your lawn flourish year round including, but not limited to, organic biostimulants (such as liquid seaweed), iron sulphate, humid and fulvic acid and mycorrhizal fungi-based products.
2. Mowing
Mowing is essential. There's no other way to put it.
Obviously aesthetically it is needed (unless you want to live in a jungle!). But frequent mowing is crucial to a thriving lawn.
Frequent mowing:
- Allows the grass to tiller and spread naturally.
- Ensures that you are not cutting off too much at once, shocking the grass and turning it yellow.
- Encourages the healthier grass to thrive while leaving behind the weaker shoots.Encourages even growth as it levels the distribution of resources in the soil.
3. Dealing with weeds, moss and pests.
Once you start leaving moss and weeds they begin outcompeting the healthy grass for air, water and nutrients. On top of this, the knock on effect of not having healthy, lush grass actually encourages pests and disease to take over your lawn as the grass is weaker.
- Solve weed issues with an application of Weedol for lawns which can be found online easily.
- Solve moss issues with heavy iron sulphate applications.
- Solve pest issues through use of their relevant nematodes (e.g. leatherjacket nematodes, chafer grub nematodes, ant nematodes).
Keeping your lawn thick and healthy is better in the long run. It will mean the lawn can bounce back quicker from inevitable stresses such as high temperatures in the summer and harsher conditions in the winter. Ultimately it should also save you having to carry out larger renovations.
Get in touch with our team if you have any specific questions about your lawn or lawns in general.