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Summer Lawn and Garden Care
The weather, always a challenge…. Yet again it's been an interesting start to the year. First it was cold, with many plants being far behind compared to previous years, lawns were no exception with the cooler days reducing growth especially of the finer grasses in lawns.
Overview
In West Bridgford, we experienced 50% less rainfall than last May. This had started to take its toll on many lawns especially those with fine grasses. Then June and the heavy rain was a welcome drink for the lawn and garden.
To get the best effect from any lawn treatment, avoid mowing for three days after treatment. This gives time for the weed-killing element to move down to the roots.
If you are one of the many UK households growing your own we would recommend that you do not compost the next four lawn clippings following any weed control application.
Watering
How much Water
It is better to apply two good waterings per week to the lawn rather than frequent light watering. Your lawn will require moistening to a depth of 6" weekly, for a loam or clay soil this will be achieved by approximately by 1-1½" of water. A sandy soil will be moistened to a depth of approximately 6" by ½ -¼" of water. For those on a meter the cost of watering a small to medium size lawn is probably less than you think. With 1000 litres of mains water costing approximately 90p - for a few pounds you can even give a large lawn (500m2) a good watering.
When should I Water?
It is more efficient to water your lawn at the first sign of drought, rather than wait until the lawn has become stressed or dormant. Initial signs of a water deficit in the soil is wilting of the turf, at this stage footprints in the grass do not spring back. An additional sign of drought is a colour change from its normal green to a green/blue.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS DURING DRY CONDITIONS
Why are these brown patches occurring?
On close inspection of your lawn you will find it's normally the finer grasses that go into dormancy first.
Why is it happening?
Simply, it's down to lack of moisture content in the soil. In the West Bridgford area, the January to May cumulative rainfall is approximately 33% less than the same period for the last two years. This has been compounded by high levels of evapotranspiration rates due to the strong winds and high daytime temperatures. We have had reports that the rainfall we have enjoyed has only met 54% of the amount lost by evapotranspiration during May. All this puts the grass plant under stress and its natural survival mechanism is to go into dormancy. Different grasses will do this at different times hence leaving the lawn looking patchy and not at its best.
Will it recover?
Yes, as soon as we have adequate rainfall the grass will return to its normal colour, in fact following the recent rains in June we have already started to see signs of recovery.
What can be done to help the grass?
If you decide to water, then make sure that you water correctly; personally we do not water our own lawns.
Raising the cutting height will also help the grass survive.
Will the lawn need remedial work?
You could consider one or both of the following:
Over Seeding - This will introduce more drought tolerant grasses into your lawn enabling it to withstand these conditions.
Aeration - This will help relieve any compaction from sun dried lawns, will also remove any sub-surface thatch (which can act as a 'mat' preventing effective water penetration).
Scarification - This is a mechanical procedure for the removal of decaying material on the soils surface; this in turn opens channels for water, air and nutrients to get through to the soil.
We would be happy to discuss all of the cultural options with you as required.
Do I need to water in todays feed?
No. The summer feed is critical for the health of the lawn, the lawn will not suffer if the feed is not watered in and it will be ready to get to work as soon as conditions permit providing your grass plants with the essential nutrients required to survive the summer conditions.
Mowing Tips
We promote regular mowing all year, a golden rule would be "little and often".
Ideal cutting heights for the majority of lawns is 30/50mm, if you have a fine lawn the 25/35mm.
Keep the mower blades sharp for a great cut.
Don't forget to keep the edges trim for that great finish.
Finally we are nearing the stage that the POA grasses show their seed heads, its all perfectly normal, just continue to mow as normal.
Red Thread
We often see Red Thread in customers lawns. Red Thread is a symptom of high humidity and/or low fertility. It is most common during Summer and Autumn months when humidity is very high and will attack the finer lawn grasses first. It's a very common fungal disease in lawns. The first sign of infestation would be patches of brownish decaying grass. Upon close inspection, very fine red needles can be seen protruding from the blades of the grass.
It is advisable for our customers to receive their regular fertiliser treatment, which will help the lawn, however, if the problem persists due to humid conditions we can apply a fungicide treatment after the feed has been applied.
Why is all feeding and cutting important?
If you regularly cut the grass in summer to a minimum of 30mm and it is well fed, then the lawn will become thick and strong, this will naturally help eliminate weeds and moss as the don't get a chance to thrive.
Greener Gardens are delighted to offer two “new” services for 2010
Hanging Baskets delivered direct to your door
Please call for more details
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