The Grass Is Always Greener...

As a gardener in Bath I feel very lucky to be surrounded by such beautiful gardens and landscapes. This year has been especially good in my opinion, as winter seemed to last until the start of summer which led to many plants being in bloom at the same time that usually come one after the other. The long cold snap seems to have had an effect on the slug and snail population, as I’ve seen far fewer than in recent years.

Although self-employment can be scary at times wondering where the next job might come from, it has been liberating as well. Fencing, lawn care, hedge cutting/topping/trimming, tree surgery, decking, garden clearances, garden design, as well as the usual garden/grounds maintenance involving grass cutting and border upkeep has helped to improve my skills over the past 18 months. I’ve even built a dry stone wall which I never expected to be on the job list but was very satisfying especially as the customer was so pleased with the end result.

As the good old British summer seems to have finally arrived (not so hot, sun and rain and wind) lawns and weeds are in full swing. Moss seems to have thrived following such a wet 2012 and a few tips to help bring it under control are given below.

Scarifying – generally near the start or end of growing season is best, helps to remove a lot of moss but never seems to get rid of it all. This can be done with a rake or machine but obviously the latter option costs more (but is much quicker). It makes a lawn look horrible for a while but is good in the long run.

Spreading sharp sand/grit over mossy areas can help to kill off moss. Once the moss turns black it can then be raked off a lot easier and is a great addition to the compost.

Mowing to short will help encourage moss to take hold and if we ever had a heat wave/drought longer grass will be more resilient.

Mowing in different directions each time you cut, especially when using a rotary mower is advisable. Ideally a cylinder mower should be used but requires more regular cutting.

Aeration to get oxygen to the roots is also helpful and can improve drainage in really wet spells. Using a regular garden fork is sufficient at regular intervals (1ft) to as deep as you can get the fork in. A little wiggle helps get the fork out again.

Recently laid turf and seed will require plenty of water to help get it established/germinate.

Hope this has helped those of you out there who want to improve your lawn. Until next time....... or if you have any questions feel free to get in touch.