MAKE YOU GARDEN GLORIOUS
Martyn Cox offers a host of brilliant ideas and tips to transform your lockdown misery into a blooming marvel. He starts by showing how you can become...
Getting the perfect lawn is difficult, but this year there is no excuse not to try to get the finest results as we are locked down at home and have the time to devote to it.
This is the ideal time for scarifying, mowing, edging, feeding and making repairs – meaning 2020 could see your best lawn ever.
Start by eliminating the thatch, weeds, moss and other debris that sits above the surface of the soil. This material feels spongy underfoot and hinders the growth of grass by preventing rain, fertiliser and any lawn tonics you might apply from reaching the roots.
Known to old hands as scarifying, the technique for clearing it out will burn up the calories. Working methodically across the surface, scrape vigorously with a spring-tine rake. You will end up with handfuls of thatch that can be added to compost heaps.
The lawn will respond positively by thickening up.
Mild weather in some parts of the country will have seen many lawns have their first cut some weeks ago. However, if you’re planning on treating yours to its first trim of the season, start with blades on their highest setting, reducing the level each time you mow. An eventual height of 2.5cm is fine for hard-wearing family lawns.
For many, the epitome of a swanky lawn is one embellished with alternating green and light green stripes – Wimbledon-style. To pull off this look, you’ll need to cut in parallel lines, using a mower fitted with a rear roller. Once the grass starts to grow, you’ll lose the effect, so regular mowing is required to keep the stripes.
Once the top appears dapper, turn your attention to trimming overhanging grass around the outside. Normally, it’s a quick job with a pair of long-handled edging shears. Since my lawn is defined by oak sleepers, I spend 30 minutes on my hands and knees snipping at the grass with a pair of scissors! After cutting, it’s a good idea to apply spring lawn feed. Both granular and liquid forms are high in nitrogen, which will quickly turn insipid looking grass a luscious shade of green.
Apart from straight pick-me-ups to boost lawn growth, there are formulations that contain ingredients for dealing with moss and weeds. It’s important to spread granules evenly, otherwise you’ll get patchy results or a buildup that will scorch grass. The instructions will advise how much to spread over a square metre.
Finish off to perfection by
repairing damage. Apart from giving an untidy appearance, a lawn with bumps, hollows, bald patches or any other kind of surface scar is harder to maintain because mowing, trimming edges and other routine tasks are made more difficult, while problems tend to get worse if ignored.
Bare patches are easy to renovate. First, remove dead grass and then spread some compost over the area.
Sprinkle grass seed on top and lightly rake in. Water and cover with mesh to deter birds.
Fixing broken edges requires a little more effort. Cut around the damaged part with a half moon tool, or a knife, and undercut with a spade to leave a square of turf. Rotate it by 180 degrees, so the inner edge is on the outside. Cut off the damaged bit. Fill the gap with compost, firm and sow with grass seed. If you want to improve existing displays around lawns, choose low-growing edging plants with a floppy habit, and robust enough to survive being thumped with a football or trampled on by a dog.