Give your lawn some TLC

Existing lawns, whatever the quality, will have tolerated the gardener walking back and forth over a long season, and this is something that takes its toll by way of compaction and a buildup of surface debris. So, it’s time to use the spring backed rake to remove the congestion, aerate the surface with a machine or fork depending on the area, and work a top dressing of sieved soil, sand, and phosphate into the voids to encourage root growth.

Worm casts are synonymous with autumn activity and a positive sign that a healthy population is enriching the soil with organic material (leaves) and air pockets. As their appearance coincides with the annual pruning of our birch trees, we have the wherewithal to bind some of the branches we save for next year’s vegetable crops, onto a stout stem and create a besom (witch’s broom). This offers the option of swishing the casts over the lawn. Who knows! Perhaps a Harry Potter fan might later claim it as a quidditch stick!

Moss is prevalent in many lawns including ours at this time of year and there are various possible reasons for its presence.

Excessive moisture, shade from overhanging trees, mowing too low, an impoverished or acidic soil, poor drainage. You can try raking it out or applying sulphate of iron, but if the underlying cause remains it will return. I use its presence to advantage by topping the compost in bowls of bulbs forced for Christmas display. It also comes to the rescue when making a seasonal wreath base. More importantly, we’ve observed some birds collecting it for their nests, and everything from pied wagtails to starlings feeding on the invertebrate life it hosts.

An instant lawn can be created any time of year from turf, including now but seed sowing is best left until spring. In each case decide whether you want a top-quality ornamental type, tough utility area or something in between that encourages flora and fauna. Then purchase the appropriate quality of turf or seed. Mine is a middle of the road lawn.