Have you Noticed Red or Brown Patches in your Lawn?
From the East of England to the West of Wales, with Scotland and Northern Ireland too, many lawns are sprouting mysterious reddish-brown patches amongst the grass. Have you noticed this in your lawn? If so, the issue might be Red Thread. In this short video, one of the UK Lawn Care Association’s members gives a […]
Scarification – scarify the lawn
As we enter the season for lawn scarification’s (Aug – Sep) we have to decide if ours is due for a thorough renovation ? You can pull at the grass above the subsoil easily to get a feel for how much ‘thatch’ is there; thatch is the term used for the layer of dead material […]
Parched Earth and Dry Lawns
Many parts of the country are still suffering from a severe shortage of rainfall; rainfall that brings not only moisture but nitrogen to help plant life. So if you are able to water lawns it will help immensely but there is another trick you can try which is to apply a wetting agent. Wetting agents, […]
Easter 2019 beckons…
The weather forecast looks fantastic for this coming weekend but it’s not all good news for our lawns! The combination of low nighttime temperatures and the obvious lack of moisture (not only in the leaf but in general) means germination and growth rate development are both struggling. So the only real answer is to pray […]
Our Lawns
As we ventured outside during the recent spell of premature spring weather the sorry state of most of our lawns has been revealed. Now we are paying for last summer’s extensive drought and we can all see the outcome; let’s face it our lawns are stressed out. Our Association recommends you research solutions, but this […]
Look out for Moss on lawns NOW!
There are thousands of species of moss and algae, and over 50 of these are found to affect grass. Mosses are primitive non-flowering plants that have no root structure and rely on a sufficient moisture environment being present for reproduction and survival. The majority of them are tolerant of acidic conditions and are stimulated by […]
Ever wondered why grass thrives under benches and trampolines?
The answer is a phenomenon known as etiolation. The stems elongate more rapidly in their search for light; the stem is thinner and more pale in comparison to healthy grass due to the lack of chlorophyll.
Thatch is a lawns BIGGEST enemy!
Thatch is a layer of debris formed from decaying roots and turf and it lies below the green grass and above the root structures. It does its damage by not allowing the lawn to ‘breathe’ effectively. Nutrients, water and oxygen cannot penetrate thatch to get where it needs to go, so every Spring professionals recommend a […]
Nature’s Watering System
Last Friday the 22nd September we had the heaviest dew; the cool clear night, followed by a warm clear day was the perfect combination for condensation to create droplets of water on the high end of the grass stem. Some say these droplets of water is nature’s way of saying it’s not going to rain […]
What a difference a year makes!
Yesterday, last year, the country delighted in balmy temperatures that peaked at 34° Celsius. Yesterday, this year, we endured gale force winds, intermittent rain and let’s just say it was lower, a lot lower than 34! So there was no need to water lawns, rather a case of batten down the hatches. The whole year […]
Britain’s Best Lawn 2017
Britain’s Best Lawn Competition
Cometh the rain, cometh the ants!
This county (Cambs) saw 40mm of rain on May the 17th and the earth sucked it all up; but anyone mowing the following day will probably have seen surface ant activity. Since the insecticide chlorpyrifos is no longer permitted, all we can do is use an off-the-shelf product to treat them. As you can tell from the […]
Watering Your Lawns
The 2016/17 UK winter, in general, has been really dry. Although there was good growth potential in March, growth slowed in April due to those Northerly winds and even the first half of May looks unseasonably dry. We do suggest you begin weekly watering now; it may cost a few pounds but it’s a good investment […]
A record December, with the combination…
… of rainfall, higher than average temperatures and enough light extended the grass growing season to a record high in 2015! The growth potential for this December was 12 on the GDD scale, which compares with 4 for the previous year and it’s not only grass that’s confused, there are buds on trees, shrubs are active, Hellebores […]
Japanese Knotweed – Know the Law
Japanese Knotweed can cost you £2,500! The Times carried a story this week warning homeowners to clean up their act when it comes to Japanese Knotweed! This invasive plant can cause serious damage even to concrete infrastructures including foundations, brick work, roads, forestry, agriculture and river banks and the Home Office state the maximum fine […]
Using Pesticides
CPA leaflet The Crop Protection Association advisory document on best practice for using pesticides.
Spring is Just Around the Corner
That would be right after the 80% chance of snow forecast for Thursday the 21st March…..no little irony that this is the start of the Spring Equinox!! Snow snow go away, come again another season.
Snow and Lawn Diseases
Watch out for Disease in your lawn when the snow melts !! Fusarium Patch This is a cool weather disease and enjoys persistent drizzle, foggy, misty and damp conditions. Symptoms appear as small, circular, yellow patches often with a white mould around the outside, which spread up to about 30cm in diameter. Once established, […]
Wettest April in 100 Years!
All that fertiliser applied in March will have helped from April’s rain, but have our lawns had enough for now? How is it in your region?
Action to prevent drought
With all the talk of a warm dry summer ahead we need to act to prevent the effects of drought on our lawns.
Lawncare in Spring
– Aeration
– Feeding
– Weed control
– Regular mowing
Now is the time to get you lawn back in shape so you can enjoy the long hot summer days to come, we hope!
If your lawn is looking in poor health don’t despair its surprising how quickly it can respond to some attention.
Your lawn care experiences
We are committed to raising the standards of lawn care services available in the UK. If you have a lawn care experience (good or bad) that you want to share with us then tell us your story by emailing us or completing our enquiry form.
Mowing your lawn
With the weather finally turning after a long period of snow and frozen lawns we will soon see soil tempratures starting to rise and the grass starting to grow. The following mowing regime provides a guide to mowing your lawn throughout the year but if you don’t have the time to mow as frequently as suggested it is important that when you do mow you get the blade height correct. Do not cut too low!
What to do with a compacted lawn
The problem starts when particles of soil in the top 4 inches are compressed, reducing pore space between them and impeding the movement of air, water and nutrients through the soil profile. This in turn leads to poor grass growth, weed invasion and moss colonisation.
Generally all lawns are compacted, as you can imagine, they’re walked on, rolled, and played on. All this contributes to consolidation then the solution is simple: Aerate. This is the practice of physically punching holes in the surface 4-6 inches deep.
