Lawn Care

Bare patches can appear for a number of reasons, including physical damage, lack of nutrients, pests, general wear and tear or longstanding issues with weeds. But, with a little bit of extra care and maintenance, you can prevent moss and weeds taking over the soil and avoid the need to replace your turf altogether.

Start by using a sharp spade to cut out the damaged patch and then gently rake the soil before adding topsoil or compost to the area if needed. Next, fill the bare patch with a healthy piece of turf the same size as the one you’ve removed – you can use new turf or turf from another area of the garden. If you choose to lay new turf, try to use the same supplier as the rest of your turf to avoid colour differences between the old and new turf. Finally, fill any gaps around the patch with a top-dressing and water well.

When using seed the first few steps are the same as with turf; remove the bare patch from your lawn, lightly fork the remaining soil and top with compost or topsoil. Then sprinkle grass seed over the patch, scattering half in one direction and the rest in the other – always check the packet for the sowing rate. Finally, use a light layer of topsoil or compost to hide the seeds from the birds then water well or, alternatively, you can use netting to protect the patch. Another good idea is to cover the area with a sheet of polythene to encourage the seeds to germinate.

The most important thing we can do is give it a much-deserved drink. Water at times when the moisture is likely to soak in rather than evaporate, early morning or late evening is the best and water when the soil becomes dry, but before the grass turns yellow or brown. Try to avoid giving your lawn a light sprinkling every day, as this can cause the roots to grow shallow and be prone to drying out. When it’s dry, a good soaking once or twice a week is much more beneficial for your lawn.
Even if lawns turn brown and dry over summer, they usually recover well when rains return. Watering is usually not necessary over summer. It’s worth noting that a well fed and maintained lawn will have a stronger and deeper root system, enabling it to withstand and recover from long dry periods. Why not feed and water your lawn at the same time? Hose end feeders can help you apply a feed as you water, alternatively, soluble feeds can be applied via a watering can.

Try to mow your lawn at least once a week, keeping the height of the grass to about 1 inch. Mowing regularly keeps the lawn in good health and ensure all clippings are collected and composted, but avoid cutting too short as this will encourage weeds and moss to enter your lawn. In really hot, dry weather your lawn will become stressed and it is advisable to reduce the amount of mowing, and allow your grass to grow longer.
Allowing the grass to grow a little longer than normal will help reduce the stress on your lawn, just amend the mower blade setting a little higher to achieve this.

Should weeds and moss be a problem for your lawn then a quick application of a suitable 4 in 1 lawn care product, will eradicate that problem. If weeds are the main problem for your lawn then apply a selective lawn weedkiller, specially formulated to target your lawn weeds without harming the grass. We recommend the following products to help tackle lawn weeds:

EverGreen Complete 4 in 1 (use from April to September)
Scotts Lawn Builder Food Plus Weed Control (use from March to September)
Weedol Gun! Lawn Weedkiller (use from April to Setpember)
Weedol Lawn Weedkiller (Liquid Concentrate, use from April to September)

Warm weather will encourage your lawn to grow rapidly and use up the nutrients in your soil. Give your lawn a helping hand by providing it with some valuable feeding to keep it looking its best. For a fast green up use a liquid lawn feed such as EverGreen Extreme Green, perfect for last minute feeding prior to having friends and family round.
For larger areas applying a granular fertiliser, using a lawn spreader will speed up the process and give you better, even results. During dry conditions, these products will need to be watered in to activate the feed.
As an organic alternative, use chicken manure pellets. Repeat fertiliser application a third time if needed six to eight weeks later.
Do not apply spring or summer lawn fertilisers, chicken manure pellets or sulphate of ammonia after August. They contain too much nitrogen for autumn use, encouraging green leafy growth at the wrong time of year, when it could be damaged by winter cold or pests and disease.