It’s finally officially (almost) summertime, and that means long afternoons relaxing or entertaining in the garden. If your lawn is currently more thistles and dandelions than grass, don’t despair! With a little effort and know-how, you can get the green lush lawn of your dreams. Here are some useful tips and suggestions.
Weed early
It’s best to take control of weeds early in the season before they have a chance to develop deep roots and spread their seeds. If possible, dig them out by hand and ensure that you get rid of all the roots. If you need to use a weed control product, follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully to ensure that you minimise any environmental damage.
Sharpen up your mowing techniques
Service your lawn mower and get the blades sharpened ready for the new season. Now that all danger of frosts should have passed, it’s safe to mow the lawn weekly to keep it looking great. It may be tempting to scalp the lawn with the blades on a very low setting to disguise those pesky weeds, but this can make the problem worse in the long run.
Leave the grass slightly longer with a higher setting, which reduces water evaporation and stress to the grass, and inhibits weed growth with the extra shade from the longer grass blades.
Water in the early mornings
If you live in a dry area, then keeping your lawn irrigated throughout the summer can be a challenge. It’s best to water deeply once a week rather than sprinkle lightly every couple of days, because there needs to be sufficient volume to percolate through the soil layers and encourage strong roots to develop.
In warm weather, water in the early mornings before 10am to minimise evaporation rates.
Consider artificial grass
If you only have a small amount of lawn and resent the cost and time spent in maintenance, it may be worth investing in artificial turf. It is also ideal for elderly people or those with mobility issues who cannot mow grass. Over recent years, the quality and appearance of ‘fake grass’ has improved considerably with modern manufacturing techniques.
There is a choice of lengths, colours and textures to choose from, as well as a range of durability grades to suit your requirements. For example, nylon fibre grass is the hardest wearing, and suitable for high traffic areas or lawns where children and pets will be frequently playing on, or for lawns used for regular social gatherings.
Polypropylene fibres are softer underfoot but less durable, so they are more suited to ornamental lawns with light foot traffic. Once installed, the synthetic turf will need very little maintenance and will look good all year round, whatever the weather or the amount of wear and tear it receives.