Lawn care preparation for winter
Restore and strengthen grass before winter, says Ruth
IREALISED it was time to do something about our front garden when a neighbour asked, “So, what are you going to do about your lawn?” Poor soil and a couple of large trees that have drained any remaining nutrients have left the grass looking thin and sparse, with more moss than lawn!
Luckily, September is the month to tackle lawn care as the weather is warm and damp enough, and the grass will react to any treatments you give it.
You can turf and sow grass seed now, by the middle of the month in the north and by the end of the month in warmer areas. This gives the blades time to germinate before the temperature drops (grass will grow in temperatures of 9-12ºC and above).
Feed existing grass and deal with moss and weeds. Any bare patches can be oversown, too.
Remove moss with the appropriate treatments (some are combined with seasonal lawn feed), rake out dead moss when it blackens, and then give an autumn lawn feed before sowing new grass seed. If weeds are a major problem, wait until spring to treat them when the grass is growing well again. Always use products specifically designed for lawns, as a general weedkiller will get rid
of the grass, too.
I am using MO Bacter moss killer and Recovery by DJ Turfcare. They are organic and safe to use around children, pets and wildlife. MO Bacter kills moss, without turning it black, by overfeeding it and then turning the dead material into plant food for the lawn. Recovery encourages healthy root growth and is ideal to use after drought or the lawn has had lots of footfall. As an added bonus, neither will burn the grass when applied during dry weather.