Lawn Problems
June 30, 2010 by Linda
Filed under Lawn Problems
Even after following a strict maintenance programme you may find your lawn occasionally requires additional work or succumbs to pests or diseases.
Thatch
Thatch is a build-up of dead bits of grass on the surface of the soil and is quite natural in lawns that are getting old. The thatch prevents rain from soaking down to the grass roots and keeps moisture at the soil surface, encouraging moss. The thatch will build up faster if you don’t use a grass box on your mower.
Rake it out regularly during Autumn as part of a regular lawn-care programme.
Compaction
Compaction also occurs on older lawns and is caused by standing garden furniture on it, or running heavy barrows over it or even just standing on it during wet weather. All this activity squashes the lawn down and plant roots find it harder to push through the hard ground.
Spiking the soil with a fork alleviates compaction and, by making airways, helps the grass grow. Again it’s a job that’s best done in autumn.
On clay soil follow the spiking by brushing gritty sand into the vertical drainage channels (about a bucketful per square metre), this makes it firmer to walk on, yet better drained in wet conditions.
Weeds
The rosette-forming, or broad-leaved, weeds, such as daisies, plantains and dandelions are easy to eradicate with selective lawn weed killers. You can either spot-treat individual weeds with a ready-to-use product or you can sprinkle a combined weed-and-feed treatment over the whole lawn.
For small-leaved weeds you’ll need a liquid weed killer that is specially designed for this type of weed. Dilute it and water it on with a watering can.
Dead weeds leave bald patches in the lawn that are quickly colonized by weed seeds and moss, so it is a good idea to feed at the same time as weeding; if the grass is growing well, there will be no room for weeds.
Use lawn weed killers in late spring when weeds are growing fast, but before they start flowering. By the time they flower, weeds will have become too tough to respond well to treatment.
Apply liquid lawn weed killer on a dry day, so that it has at least 12 to 24 hours to be taken in through the leaves. If it’s washed away too soon, it won’t have a chance to work. If you use a granular weed-and-feed treatment turn on the sprinkler, if it hasn’t rained after 48 hours, to make sure that the treatment is effective.
Moss
Moss will continue to return if your lawn is in a damp, shady place so try to let in more light and improve the drainage.
The cheapest, simplest method of controlling moss is to rake it out, it is hard work so you may want to invest in a powered lawnraker or hire one.
An easier solution is to buy liquid lawn moss killer, or products that combine moss killer with lawn feed. You need to feed the lawn, so that it thickens up and fills gaps where moss has been, to stop weeds coming in. Apply in spring.
Lawn sand is an effective preparation that acts as a fertilizer, weed killer and moss killer, but it can scorch the lawn if applied too heavily. Buy it ready-made or make it up yourself from 4 parts (by weight) sulphate of ammonia: 1 part sulphate of iron: and 20 parts fine silver sand. Apply, at the rate of 115g per 1sq.m (4oz per sq. yd), when dry during spring and early summer, but make sure the soil is moist.
Once the moss turns black it is dead and can be raked out.
Bald Patches
Some bald patches on the lawn are due to constant use by regular heavy foot traffic, if this is the case you would be better off putting in a proper path. Some patches may be because the grass isn’t growing very well, and spiking and feeding may be all it needs. Other patches may simply be ‘scalped’ bumps; that happens when the mower skims off the top of higher areas of lawn. Levelling the lawn will correct this. If there are bald patches where large rosette weeds have been removed, or because the lawn in poor condition, the quickest way to deal with them is to reseed.
Broken Edges
Broken lawn edges look untidy, make mowing difficult and edging almost impossible. Take a sharp spade and cut out a square of turf that has the broken edge along one side. Turn it around and fit it back into the gap, so that the straight edge is around the outside of the lawn and the broken piece is on the inside. This leaves a hole in the lawn. Fill the hole with topsoil and firm it down then reseed it as if it were a bald patch.
Peaks and Hollows
To flatten peaks strip the turf off the peak, remove some of the soil beneath and level the spot before putting the turf back. Hollows are treated in the same way, but in reverse. Remove the turf, add topsoil until the hollow is level and put the grass back.
Earthworms
Worms are actually beneficial in the garden – they make hundreds of tiny drainage channels in the soil. They also drag organic matter, such as dead leaves, into the ground, helping with soil enrichment. However, some species of worm leave worm casts on the lawn’s surface (mainly in spring and autumn). When the weather is dry sweep the worm casts off the lawn with a stiff broom.
Ants
Ants like nesting in dry soil in lawns in summer and they will defend their nests, often giving you nasty nips. Ants usually target lawns which are thin and have lots of bare soil, so keeping a good lawn will deter them. Soak new nesting sites thoroughly with water to drive ants away, if this doesn’t work don’t worry; the whole colony will fly away in late Summer.
Moles
Moles burrow beneath lawns in search of earthworms. There are lots of ways you can try to get rid of moles but none of them are 100% successful and even if you do get rid of one it is highly likely that another will move into it’s place soon afterwards. As a final resort you can call in a mole catcher. If you accept the moles just remember to brush the molehill back into the hole to avoid bare batches and a sunken lawn.
Leatherjackets
Leatherjackets are the larvae of the crane fly (daddy-long-legs) and they eat grass roots. The first thing you know about it is lots of little yellow patches, or flocks of starlings probing for grubs and there isn’t an awful lot you can do about it except repair the pecked-up surface after the birds have finished.
Chafer grubs
Chafer grubs are the larvae of the chafer beetle. They can cause problems on any grassed area including lawns by feeding on the roots of grass plants.
Symptoms may appear as straw-coloured weak areas of grass, where the roots have been damaged. In most cases the larvae are discovered when birds or mammals, such as badgers or foxes, begin to rip up areas of the turf looking for the grubs. They are a protein filled delicacy to birds and mammals, which can destroy large areas when looking for them.
Take a look at our full article: Now is an ideal time to prevent damage caused by Chafer Grubs
Take the stress out of Garden mess
May 12, 2010 by Linda
Filed under Maintenance
Watch this video for Jenny Powell’s top tips for summer garden happiness
Summer is well on its way. But is your garden prepared for the season ahead?
After a long cold winter many of us will have neglected our patio and decking and chances are it won’t be ready for those many barbeques and summer parties. So how do you turn a sorry state into a paradise which you won’t be embarrassed to invite your guests to?
Jenny Powell knows a thing or two about a tidy home and garden and can turn any neglected patch into a wonderland. With a bit of elbow grease and some creative ideas you too can have a garden to be proud of.
But if the idea of a few hours of sweeping leaves you in a cold sweat, panic not, there is an easier solution! Pressure washers easily blast off moss and dirt and take just seconds to turn your grimy garden into a glorious garden. Thankfully Kärcher provides the answer. Their Pressure Washer is the essential cleaning product for all of that dirty garden furniture and mucky paths and patios.
Once your garden is gleaming, pots, scented candles and new plants can help bring a new lease of life. So roll up your sleeves and get stuck in.
In the following video, Jenny shares her top tips for a perfect plot.
http://www.linkto.tv/iframe/show/uuid/9VaFw0o2fPs
Killing Moss
Question:
I live in a very mossy area and found last year that my 30 year old very productive asparagus bed was completely covered in moss. I raked off as much as was possible but this year it has unsurprisingly returned. I have again raked off but clearly shall be left with no soil if I continue in this way. Any suggestions please as to a moss kill product I could now apply (the fern has been cut down to less than an inch above the ground – (might lawn sand be suitable?) and also how I might deal with the bed from now on to minimise moss formation in future? (I do not feel I should just leave the moss on the bed hoping that the asparagus will continue to crop through it. Would this be a sensible option?)
Answer:
This is quite a difficult problem. Firstly I would say not to use any type of moss killer on the bed as the risk to the asparagus is too great. I assume that the soil conditions are ideal for your asparagus otherwise they would not have lasted so long, however, moss loves damp ground. If it is possible to improve the drainage of the bed without disturbing the asparagus you may find this helps in the longer term. In the short term you could try removing the moss by hand then adding mulch, replacing or topping it up every year. The uneven surface of the mulch is less appealing to the moss than the smoothness of bare soil.
