Lawn care – let’s get the green growing!

With lush, green lawns firmly front of mind for many landscape gardeners’ clients, planning a lawn-care schedule and preparing for the maintenance tasks ahead will stand you in good stead.

De-thatching and aerating

First things first: removing the dead grass on top of the lawn soil, or the ‘thatch’, is an essential first step in springtime lawn care. Removing this mix of rhizomes, roots and stems, either by hand or by a vertical mower or core aerator, allows the lawn to breathe. In superficial cases, simply spiking the ground for aeration using a robust and all-metal fork will be all that’s necessary. Once clear, you’ll have a better view on the overall health of the lawn, allowing you to form a plan for weed-killing, re-seeding, feeding and general maintenance throughout the summer.

Weeding and feeding

Fertilising a lawn is an essential step in ensuring the grass is well fed and thrives. Set a fertiliser schedule from around May to begin feeding the grass. Then continue throughout the summer, perhaps with a dual-purpose fertiliser that will also help keep weeds at bay. Developed as a general-purpose fertiliser, Landscaper Pro Universtar Balance slowly releases an optimum balance of nutrients and helps prevent fertiliser burning issues on lawns.

Understanding the issues your clients face will help inform the best choice of fertiliser. For example, what weeds are particularly troublesome? Would a lawn fertiliser that kills moss be the best option? Do they need a solution that kills Lyme-disease carrying ticks?

Seeding, watering and mowing

Whether seeding a new area, repairing thinning patches on an existing lawn or simply overseeding to rejuvenate, select grass seed carefully. Take into account shadiness and whether the new grass will be under trees, opting for a shade-tolerant grass seed variety with a low nutrient requirement if necessary.

While irrigation systems are not typically used domestically in the UK, watering a lawn consistently is essential to keep the lawn green and resilient during summertime dry spells. Communicate the optimum schedule to your client to ensure they maintain the lawn in your absence.

While professional landscapers and gardeners know better than mowing a lawn when it’s wet, it is worth ensuring the client knows that doing so can introduce disease to a lawn. Decide on a mowing schedule with the client to maintain the grass well throughout the summer.

Landscapes Direct is an established supplier of high quality landscaping and gardening products to the landscape gardening trade. We pride ourselves on the high levels of support we provide for our clients. Find out more about how we can help you on 0800 731 6534 or sales@ld-uk.com.