Guest blog from lawn expert David Hedges-Gower
Thanks very much to David Hedges-Gower for providing this much-needed information on lawn care. Here’s what you need to do now to get the best grass this summer.
Well, what a March we have all been having weather-wise! Lawns and soils will be cold and probably wet, and this does not encourage gardening. This changeable weather can create unexpected problems, so some work and thought now will leave you with a lawn to be proud of when the spring finally arrives properly.
Aeration and scarification are vital at this time of year. Do these phrases fill you with dread and confusion? Read on to put your mind at rest… Looking for advice about winter lawn care? David shares his tips.
Aeration
Healthy soil should be 50 per cent solids, 25 per cent water and 25 per cent air. Over time, the air slowly squeezes out simply by natural weather patterns. Aeration is the process of creating tiny channels from the surface down into the soil. This lets more air back into the root zone, thus restoring balance and maintaining a healthy ecosystem.
If the weather is moist and the snow and ice have thawed and the ground is not too wet or frozen, this is a good time to hollow-tine aerate your lawn. For small lawn care, use a hollow-tine aerating fork and for a larger one, use or hire a pedestrian machine. It is best to remove the cores from the surface. You could also do some very thin pencil tining and some slitting (if you are a real enthusiast), but remember that this should be done regularly and in conjunction with the hollow-tine aeration.
Lawn care – Scarification
This is the removal of dead matter and moss from around the stem of the grass plant, ensuring that a healthy growing environment is maintained above and below the surface. March, April, September and October are the best times to scarify. Think of it as a ‘spring clean’ for your lawn, which will encourage new growth and renewed thickening leading into the warmer weather.
It is actually one of the two ‘pruning’ techniques we do to lawns, so gardeners should be excited about it more than worried, as we know how well it grows after pruning. It won’t prune the grass with a springbok rake, by the way, that will just remove thatch and moss. You should aim to scarify every year (not just every two to three), as with most things to do with lawn care, little and often is the key.
The benefits will more than justify the effort, and you will be in much better control over the thatch and moss and enjoy a faster recovery time too. Your lawn will look great in just a few weeks.
Read more on how to have a lawn despite the rigours of climate change. For more lawn tips, visit www.davidhedges-gower.com.
