Lawn Care over the Winter

Lawn Care Products

Aeration
Aeration is as much a part of looking after your lawn at any time of the year as it is in autumn but with the weather turning more to rain it takes on a whole new dimension. Aerating your lawn is important in the months September through to April as this is when we in the United Kingdom seem to have our biggest rain fall and aeration helps the ground relinquish its hold on some of that excess water it has soaked up. Use a hand fork to aerate those parts of the lawn that look as though they are suffering from excess water.

Worms
There is a common misconception among many would-be gardeners that worms are a pest; this is not the case. Worms help to improve the nutrient content of the soil in which your lawn is growing and as such the worms are best left to their own devices. However should worm casts be visible on the lawn allow them to dry out and sweep them away.

Leaves and Debris
Keep the lawn free from leaves and debris. Falling leaves in the autumn and winter can rot quickly and bring disease to your lawn so it is advisable to rake them away as often as you can – or whenever you see a build up of leaves.

Scarification
Scarification is the procedure of pulling a rake through the grass sward to drag away any dead grass matter, roots or moss that may be festering within your lawn. Doing this one a fortnight – or more often if you can – helps reduce the chances of disease spreading into the grass. If you wait until the moss turns brown or black then it will come away from the lawn with minimal effort and minimal damage to your lawn.

As always, we have the perfect place to buy the cheapest rakes online right here in the UK

How To Water Your Plants

watering plants

Absurd as it may sound, given such high levels of annual rainfall in the UK, the most common cause of plant death is lack of water. By following our guidelines, you’ll keep your garden blooming throughout the summer, despite droughts and hosepipe bans.

Without water, plants wilt and die. But too much water can be as bad for plants as not enough. If land plants are submerged in water for too long, even if just their roots are submerged, they may rot or drown from lack of oxygen.

­ Balancing plants’ water needs is like having a healthful diet. Everything should be consumed in moderation. Provide your plants with enough water for good health, but don’t flood them with it.

Symptoms of lack of water vary between different types of plants, depending on the severity of the drought.

Generally, the main symptom of drought is the leaves wilt and become limp as they are no longer swollen with water. They nearly always turn yellow; sometimes they turn brown at the edges or drop off.

A lack of water can cause stunted growth, flowers to shrivel up and fruit to drop. In extreme cases plants shrivel up and die.

Watering your plants and shrubs involves a bit more than just throwing a sprinkler on them every other day — although this is better than not watering them at all and is effective! Use the following tips to get the maximum benefit out of your watering efforts:

• Add organic matter to soil when planting. Improving the soil’s structure helps to retain moisture.
• Use a mulch on flowerbeds and around shrubs and trees in spring. This stops moisture from evaporating during dry spells.
• Add a mulch, such as gravel, to the surface of hanging baskets to trap moisture.
• Add water-retentive gel to compost in hanging baskets and containers, or use compost with water retentive gel already in it.
• Learn more about using mulches.

In terms of watering:

• Using the right amount of water is the most important aspect of a plant’s survival in dry conditions. Bear in mind that it is not just hot weather that can cause soil to dry out, windy weather can also have a detrimental effect. Using a water gun head on the end of your hose will enable you to do this.
• Have your hose in a handy place where you can always wreel it out and back in again, and make sure it is long enough to reach far places.
• In dry conditions, water container plants at least once a day. Water in the evening to reduce evaporation.
• However, if a plant looks like it is wilting and suffering from drought in the day, then water it immediately.
• Try to avoid watering plant leaves in direct sunlight because they can become scorched, particularly when they have hairy foliage.
• Install a water butt in the garden to conserve water.
• If you have an automatic watering system with a timer, adjust it to take hot and dry weather into account.
• Move container plants into the shade if you are going away on holiday and no one is watering your plants.

Using Garden Hoses

Soaker hoses are a good way to keep your garden watered. These hoses are made of water-permeable fabrics, perforated recycled rubber, or other porous materials. When attached to a spigot with the water turned on low or medium, moisture droplets weep out along the length of the hose.

REMEMBER – The worst time to water is in the heat of the day when evaporation and wind carry away most of the water. Most established plants require only about an inch of water during hot weather, and drought-tolerant plants often can go a couple of weeks or more between waterings depending on soil and other conditions.

Laying Turf The Easy Way

Many people ask me how to lay turf.The key to successfully laying turf is using the right tools and planning carefully.

The best times to lay turf are between March-June and September-November.

Prior to the selected turfing contractor doing the job have a good look at the area in which the turf will be situated.

When planning where to lay the turf try and leave a border near fences and walls as it is hard to cut the lawn there.

Is it a jungle? Weeds will need treating several weeks before the lawn is laid with a good biodegradable weedkiller. One that will kill the root as well as the leaves such as Roundup or Tumbleweed. I know from experience that thistles in particular are a real pain when it comes to coming through the turf. Before the lawn is down you have an opportunity to get rid of them – take it! Or else you will be continuously standing on them with your bare feet as you admire your garden on a cool summers evening. Not the best thing. Have a look on the product label to see when it will be safe to lay the turf after the ground has been treated. If in doubt ask at your local garden centre.

Ground preparation for turf

Is it a building site? Your contractor should make sure that any rubble is raked off the surface of the ground prior to any turf being laid. Loose stones and building rubble will prevent the turves roots from making contact with the soil and could make the turf die in patches.

The topsoil should then be thoroughly rotivated down to about the first 6 inches to aerate it properly. It is then raked level and gently treaded down (not whacked with a spade as I have seen on Rogue Traders!)

Turf arrives!

Your contractor will probably have ordered 5% more turf than needed, this is normal and should be included in the quote as this excess will be lost when then lawn is laid and trimmed.

Apart from exceptional circumstances the turf should arrive the same day it is to be laid. From the moment it is dug up on the ‘turf farm‘ until 4 weeks after it is laid in your garden there is a constant battle to keep it moist enough. Failure to do means it will suffer and may die. Therefore, sitting rolled up on your drive or in the back of a truck all night is bad. If its impossible to lay the turf on the same day then it should be rolled out on your driveway (not your prepared surface) and watered to keep it moist.

Laying the turf

Start by laying the first turf down the longest straight edge. Butt and fold the neighbouring turf next to it knowing that there will be some shrinkage and if you try and stretch the turfing at this stage you will end up with some gaps when it is bedded in.

The turf should be firmly but carefully tapped down using the back of a spade to ensure that the roots and the soil are in good contact.

If there is an obvious dip in the profile add or remove soil as necessary.

Avoid using odd small sections of turf near the edges of the lawn as these will dry out faster than you can water them and probably die.

After laying the first row, place a plank on the turf and use it to carry the next row of turf to the bare areas of soil. Do not walk on the turf or soil whilst you are laying it as it can be damaged.

Stagger the joints of the turf whilst laying; as you see bricks in a wall.

Once finished the edges can be trimmed. The correct tool being a half-moon spade.

During the first four weeks the lawn should be watered constantly. The first watering should soak the cultivated layer of top soil the turf is laid on. This is very important, as until the root system binds with the soil the turf will lose moisture at an alarming rate and can die quite rapidly if abused.

Avoid excessive walking on the turf especially at the early stages and after about two weeks give the lawn its first cut. Use Turf tracks wherever possible to minimise damage to the turf. Try and cut about one quarter of the length of the grass during each trim at this stage, progressively taking more off as the lawn matures. Just think that a grass plant partly lives via photosynthesis through its blade and chopping all of that off will severely injure or kill the plant and hence your lawn. At best it will go a very unattractive yellow for a few days. A sign that you need to get the lawnmower out more often.

Regular cutting of the grass also tends to reduce the number of weeds that grow in the lawn. Also, take note that trimming a little and often, combined with a Lawn Fertiliser. applied twice a year is the difference between having something that looks like a park football pitch and a bowling green.

Finding safe, clean and easy passage in the garden is not always easy! With the Garden Track, it is possible to create an instant, robust and weatherproof walkway in seconds. The Garden Track consists of 24 panels, connected by sturdy link pins, to create a 3 metre long path. It allows for easy passage over muddy terrain or gravel, while the snaking action adapts easily to uneven ground. The Garden Track is particularly useful at preventing lawn damage caused by regular and repeated foot traffic. Examples can be found in routes to and from vegetable beds, compost bins and washing lines. The Garden Track will also be of real use to campers and caravanners, as well as offering a useful access solution to wheelchair users, when negotiating problem surfaces such as wet ground and gravel. One time, self assembly is required but this takes a matter of minutes and no tools are required. Once assembled, the unit packs flat for easy storage. Each Garden Track can be extended to provide a longer pathway using the additional link pins provided. Each Garden Track panel is made from recycled polypropylene, while the link clips are in nylon. Dimensions – 303cm (l) x 39cm (w) x 2cm (h)

Hanging Baskets

• Use a range of summer bedding plants to suit your chosen colour scheme, and change them throughout the year to reflect what’s in bloom.
• Prepare compost by mixing controlled release fertiliser granules and water-retaining gel with peat-free multi-purpose compost.
• Unhook a chain from the basket and add the basket liner. Cover this with the bin liner and cut off the excess.
• Put a 2.5cm (1in) layer of compost in the basket. Make three slits around the sides and add trailing plants.
• Fill to three quarters with compost and plant three more plants around the side.
• Continue to fill with compost, leave a 3cm (0.75in) gap between the top of the compost and lip of the basket, and plant the top.
• Water well and hang outside when all risk of frost has passed.

Garden centres stock a variety of liner material. Avoid sphagnum moss that has been gathered from the wild as it’s not a sustainable crop.

Dealing with weeds

Getting rid of weeds is simple to do if you know how. The trick is to use the right equipment and keep on top of it. There are simple ways to keep weeds from reappearing in your garden or patio.

• Mulch borders with an 8cm (3in) layer of bark mulch to prevent weeds from colonising.
• Cover large areas of bare soil with plastic, landscape fabric or an old roll of carpet to prevent weeds from germinating in spring.
• Removing annual weeds in the border by hand pulling or hoeing
• Lever up perennial weeds from the border with a hand fork or special weeding tool. Ensure every piece of root is removed.
• Scrape weeds or moss from between gaps in paving with an old knife.
• Use a daisy grubber to removing shallow rooted, rosette forming weeds from the lawn.
• Paint stubborn rosette forming lawn weeds with a herbicide gel.
• Tackle coarse grasses growing in the lawn by slashing through the crown with a knife before mowing.
• Before mowing lawns containing weeds with long runners, rake the stems to the surface. Regular mowing will eventually weaken and kill the weed.
• Lawns that are smothered with weeds and moss are best treated with a weed and feed product.
• Pull weeds from pots and fill gaps with new compost.