Show off some green green grass of home
A LUSH, green lawn acts as a perfect canvas for your garden.
It brings all the elements of your space together – whether that’s beds of colourful flowers, a veg patch or a play area.
Spring is the ideal time to start working on your lawn to ensure it stays healthy all year.
So what steps can you be taking right now to make your lawn look its best?
Firstly, you need to time your care just right. Start mowing as soon as the grass begins to grow, but make sure your blades are at their highest setting.
You can then gradually lower them as we move into May.
Bear in mind that shorter grass is less resistant to wear and tear, and it’s more likely to dry out during the hotter months. If in doubt, it’s better for grass to be too long than too short.
Next, you need to think about giving it some nourishment.
April is the perfect time to feed your grass, as we’re into the growing season and the weather isn’t too dry.
If you have any fertiliser at home, it’s a great way to help maintain a lush lawn and needs only two applications a year – in the spring and autumn.
Always choose a dry day for feeding, but make sure that the ground is not too dry by watering first if necessary. A lawn needs a lot of water and, once started, you have to keep it up due to the new growth it triggers.
My advice is not to panic if your grass turns brown in a long, hot spell – it will begin to recover once the cooler and damper weather returns.
However, if the overall look is important to you then feel free to give it a drink, but only do so in the morning or evening when the water can be better absorbed.
Better still, set a sprinkler to come on during the night. If there has been a lot of rain, use an aerator to make some holes in the turf and help your lawn to drain. Patience rewards you when it comes to lawncare, so stick at it.
The best results will come from following a simple, regular programme of maintenance throughout the year, rather than doing occasional bursts of activity.
Different seasons will bring new conditions for your lawn to adapt to, so you’ll need to swap around your maintenance jobs to keep them relevant.