Lets face it, you want the best looking lawn on the street.
A good, well-maintained lawn is the perfect green foil for colourful herbaceous borders, a great setting for summer picnics and even a foraging ground for birds and other wildlife. We show you how to keep your lawn looking its best all year round.
How to keep your lawn looking great
Regularly mowing your lawn will help promote lush, green growth. Weed regularly and sow seeds into bare patches to get them growing again. Water your lawn in dry summers to stop it going from brown. Work on areas with brown patches, rake the area, replace soil and all seed. Spike the turf with a fork to aerate trampled areas to help bring them back to life, and rake out dead growth in autumn to maintain a green lawn.
1. Mow
Regular trimming encourages the roots to spread, which will help to fill gaps and block out weeds. Regular mowing also helps combat pests, keeps weeds at bay and, if you use a mulching mower, can even leave behind small bits of mulched grass, which acts as a natural fertilizer.
2. Water
Watering daily will give your grass a shallow root system. Shallow root systems dry out fast and weaken your turf. Watering deeply 3 times per week will give your grass a deep root system, making it stronger and more drought-resistant.
3. Weed
It's important to rid your garden of weeds because they rob your soil and your plants of important nutrients and water.
4. Aerate
Aeration helps by perforating the soil with small holes to allow air, water and nutrients to penetrate the grass roots. This helps the roots grow deeply and produce a stronger, more vigorous lawn. The main reason for aerating is to alleviate soil compaction
5. Feed
To grow green and healthy, your lawn depends on high-quality fertilizer and regular feedings. When applied at the right times, a high-quality lawn fertilizer gives turf essential nutrients that help it grow thick and resist environmental stresses, weeds and pests.
6. Fill
To replace the bare patch, cut out a square or rectangle around the area and, using a hand trowel, dig up the soil in the rectangle to whatever depth of soil your new turf strip is. Gently lay the turf, cut to fit, over the patch. Firm it down so that there are no gaps and your new turf is no higher or lower than your existing lawn.