Cut Length
Don’t cut your grass too short; it should be at least 25mm (1”) long, unless it’s really dry then raise it up to 1.5 inches. By cutting it longer you will increase its drought resistance and discourage germination of weeds and moss
Rake Lawn
A light rake before mowing will help keep the clover runners under control.
Wet Grass
If you need to mow the lawn but the grass is a bit damp, grass may stick to the mower and create a big cleaning job. An easy solution is to apply a light coating of cooking oil to the underside and the blades of the mower before you start mowing. Oil and water do not mix so the wet grass will not stick and the grass is easy to remove. Make sure you remove the oil with WD-40 before cutting dry grass or you’ll have the same problem in reverse!
Cut Direction
Cut the grass in different directions, this prevents creating a nap where the grass begins to grow horizontally causing thatch and related problems.
Clear Leaves
Clear leaves off the lawn as frequently as possible to avoid the grass being smothered and killed.
Shady Patches
Where you have shady areas cut the grass on a higher setting. In shady situations the grass requires more leaf for photosynthesis than it would in a sunny situation.
Aerate
When soil becomes compacted, from foot traffic, mowing and the like, oxygen can’t reach the microbes that break down organic matter to enrich the soil. To keep your lawn healthy, it’s a good idea to aerate it periodically to open up the compacted soil.
Water
In prolonged dry periods you may need to water your lawn. Two signs of a water deficiency are footprints remaining in the grass as the dry blades fail to spring back up, and sometimes a dull sheen with a bluish tint on each blade of grass.
Fertiliser
The average lawn will benefit from an annual spring application of fully balanced fertiliser. Fertilisers not only encourage the grass to grow faster but also more densely. As a result, weeds and moss are crowded out and the lawn retains its good, even green colour. Apply fertiliser when the grass leaves are dry and the soil is moist for the best results. Water the lawn if no rain falls within 48 hours.
Dog Damage
Dog’s urine will kill grass and leave tell tale burnt patches – the female dogs’ urine being worst. The solution is tomato juice! Not on the lawn but in the dog’s food. Just mix 1½ tablespoons of tomato juice into the dog food twice a day. The tomato juice will neutralise the chemical in the dog’s urine which kills the grass. So it’s an almost instant solution – but will only work if you do it every day as described.
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Lawn care isn’t as hard as we thought. Thanks for these clever lawn care tips. More power!
Please what can I do about wormcasts? My lawn is in a terrible state already and its only the beginning of September. I get wormcasts every 2 inches all over my lawn. They are never dry enough to brush off so I have to hose them off every single day. If I dont do this the lawn is even worse a state. My cats tread in them and I cant cut the grass as this makes wormcast skid marks everywhere. I’ve tried a chemical which is meant to make the lawn more acid and this didnt work. I am at the end of my tether and am thinking of getting rid of my lawn. Gravel will look ugly, fake grass is probably expensive – I lost my job earlier this year and cannot afford to get fake grass right now. Please, there used to be chemicals for wormcasts, is there anything I can do? My neighbours dont have a problem, its as if the whole villages worm population are living in my garden
Hello Janet, if you get a reasonable dry period then you can remove them with a broom, however if that doesn’t occur then you may need to resort to a worm cast control product. You can buy a Spray on Sulphur Lawn product or in granular form. These will not harm the worms but will deter them from creating casts. Good luck.
Cheers, David