1. Aerate your lawn regularly
Aeration allows water, air and nutrients to reach the roots of the grass where they are most beneficial. Aeration also reduces surface compaction of the lawn allowing for better drainage. Aeration can be done using a garden fork or hollow tine fork or for almost effortless slice aeration use the Mantis Aerator Attachment.
2. Watering
To maintain a great looking green lawn it is important to water the lawn thoroughly during dry weather periods, hose pipe bans permitting. If the lawn is only lightly watered, this will give the instant impression of a healthy green lawn but need not necessarily be beneficial to the grass. By watering thoroughly, the root structure of the grass is encouraged to develop down into the subsoil. In general the longer the roots the better the lawns resistance to dry weather because the root will absorb water from lower in the soil structure. By aerating the lawn regularly this will improve the surface drainage and soil absorption of the water, also encouraging the root structure to develop.
3. Dethatching
Thatch is the layer of material, mostly moss and dead grass cuttings that build up on top of the lawn over time. This is useful for water retention when it is very shallow, acting as an insulation layer; but when thatch builds up, it chokes the lawn and can inhibit healthy grass growth and encourage the growth of moss and disease. Use a hand grass rake to remove thatch from the lawn or for a more thorough and less back-breaking solution use the Mantis Dethatcher Attachment.
4. A neatly edged lawn dramatically improves its appearance
Use shears to trim the grass every time the grass is cut, and a half moon spade or Mantis Border Edger Attachment to trim the turf at regular intervals.
5. Weeds
Weeds in a lawn detract from its appearance and can inhibit the growth of a healthy lawn. They grow, flower and seed very quickly; then they spread through the lawn and beds rapidly if left uncontrolled. There are many solutions for weeds but in general localised spot treatment at an early stage is better than widespread treatment to a whole lawn.
6. Grass cuttings
If grass cuttings are to be composted and used in and around a garden or vegetable plot, be careful how cuttings from a lawn that has recently been treated with weed killer are used. Some weed killers have a long term residue that could be detrimental to plants if it remains in composted grass cuttings.
7. Repair
If dead or brown lifeless patches appear in your lawn, repair these quickly with either turf or seed to prevent the area being taken over by weeds or moss.
8. Cutting length
It is better to cut little and often rather than one infrequent long cut. Although many people admire and strive for the perfect bowling green finish, this is hard to achieve and requires almost professional dedication to a lawn. By leaving the grass slightly longer and cutting to this height regularly it is easier to achieve a very green, healthy lawn. A short lawn also does not retain moisture and will therefore in dry weather be much harder to maintain.
9. Worm Casts
Some worms are beneficial to a healthy lawn; they help to decompact and aerate the lawn from beneath the surface. Unfortunately the worm casts are made from soil that has passed through the worm, the cast is full of nutrients essential to healthy plant growth and this provides and ideal environment for weed seeds to germinate. Remove worm cast from your lawn by brushing lightly with a stiff brush. Autumn falling leaves also provide an ideal location for worms to thrive, therefore removing fallen leaves from a lawn will help to minimise worm casts.
10. Lawn feed
Lawn feed have different chemical composition to suit the growing needs of a lawn through the season. An autumn feed is used to develop the structure of the plant rather than encourage leaf growth. A spring feed will also include more Nitrogen which will encourage healthy leaf growth and will green up your lawn.
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