As part of our home management service we look after the homes of our clients who live abroad for a few months of the year. Part of this is making sure their garden is maintained to a high standard. One of our recommended gardeners has shared some top tips on how to attain and maintain a healthy lawn. Let’s be honest, we all want that evenly striped green lawn!

7 Top Tips for Lawn Care 

  1. Spring is the perfect time to prepare your lawn for summer. A beautiful lawn doesn’t require a flood of chemicals. Careful watering, mowing, and fertilization can keep your lawn healthy, along with annual de-thatching and aerating.
  2. Tidy your lawn of any debris such as leaves and sticks which have gathered over the winter months.
  3. Mow regularly: once a week between April and September. Once a fortnight is not enough to thicken up the grass. Mowing your lawn too short may seem like a time saver, but this can damage your grass as well as allow weeds to set root. The general rule of thumb is to never cut off more than a third of the grass blade.
  4. A dull blade on your mower tears the grass, resulting in a ragged edge that makes the overall lawn look greyish brown. Sharpen or replace the mower blade when it shows signs of wear — or at least once a mowing season.
  5. Moss Control – keep the lawn clear of debris, and use moss killer only after scarifying, not before, so it can get right down to the base of the unwanted plants. Moss thrives in compacted waterlogged soil, so aerate it with a garden fork, inserting the tines to a depth of 4-6 inches. Repeat so the lawn is spiked then top dress it with a free-draining compost mix.
  6. Feeding – In mid-spring (often late March to April), use a proprietary spring or summer lawn fertiliser. Feeding the lawn will increase vigour and help prevent weeds and moss from establishing. Apply fertilisers when the soil is moist, or when rain is expected.
  7. Over-seeding – After moss or weeds have been removed, or where grass is growing sparsely, over-seeding may be necessary. Early autumn is the best time for this job, but mid-spring is also suitable.
  • Break up the surface with a fork and rake it to make a reasonably fine surface
  • Sow grass seed
  • Lightly rake to incorporate the seed into the surface
  • Where birds are a problem, net the area
  • If the weather remains dry for two or three days water gently with a sprinkler
  • Grass should sprout 7 to 10 days after sowing

By the time the summer arrives your grass will be looking fantastic – perfect for your BBQ’s!

If you’d like to find out how we can manage your home to keep everything looking tip-top, get in touch.