Grass Clippings

When should you start mowing your lawn in the spring?

Pick up any old lawn book and it will state that you should not mow the lawn between the end of October and end of February. This is rubbish. We are often asked by clients when should we start mowing the lawn in the spring. After the snow at the start of February, the last few weeks of finer spring like weather would be an ideal time to mow the lawn.

The turf grasses in the lawn are now growing and if you are brave enough, get out this weekend and 'top' the lawn on a high mower setting to tidy it up before the England Vs Ireland Six Nations rugby match starts! The effect of mowing the lawn will not only stimulate additional growth and activity but you will feel a lot better for the exercise and the garden will look so much tidier.

Fairy Rings in lawns - how to control them

There are a lot of old wives's tales about how to remove a Fairy Ring from a lawn - most of them stating that the best way of getting rid of a Fairy Ring in a lawn is to dig it out to a depth and remove the soil. This is not the case and you run the risk of actually leaving behind some of the Fairy Ring mycelium in the soil or spreading the problem across the lawn during the soil shifting process.

Using a Turf Cutter to strip off the surface of an old lawn

With spring around the corner, your thoughts will be moving towards your garden and in particlar your lawn. If you have less than 20% actual turf grasses in your lawn, then you may need to strip off the old lawn's surface and start again. Stripping a lawn is hard work and the best option is to hire or borrow a turf cutter to perform the job with ease.

RHS announce Earthworm Survey

Gardeners and nature lovers are being asked for their help in recording the country's population of earthworms. The aim is to find out more about a garden creature that is essential to the health of our soils, yet largely remains a mystery.

Top ten lawn problems in 2008

The Sports Turf Research Institute based in Bingley, West Yorkshire, in their recent publication - Turfgrass Bulletin dated January 2009 have confirmed the top ten turf problems that their turf advisory service received calls on from Turf Managers seeking their input in the last 12 months. Your lawn may not be a championship golf course or premier football pitch but you would have experienced similair problems in the past 12 months.

The list makes interesting reading. Remember that we are talking professional to professional but a lot of Turf Managers rely heavily on the technical visits from their regional STRI Agronomist each year to review past maintenance practices and come up with a forward plan for the next year, dependant upon the demands of the playing surface and sport played on it/them.

Tips on how to control Moss with Sulphate of Iron

Moss and Moss control in lawns is a practice normally performed in the spring lawn care months. There will soon (honest) be the first great weekend of weather when you venture out into the garden and take a good hard look at the state of the lawn. If the grass plants activity has thinned or weakened over the past 12 months, now is the time to start Moss control and eradication and some mechanical operations just ahead of over seeding the lawn to turn the tide on the moss and re populate with existing or new grasses.

Weed Killer sales have a record year in 2008

Selecting the correct chemical for the job is so important for the desired results. Weed Killers and other garden chemicals are often 'cherry picked' off the Garden Centre or DIY Warehouse retail shelf after an often confused evaluaion and selection process as a result of poor customer education. With Garden Pesticides receiving such poor Press over the past few years the news that weed killer sales have had a great year in 2008, suprises me.

Matthew Appleby of Horticulture Week Magazine reports this week that ready to use weed killers drove the UK garden chemicals market in 2008, GfK research has found.

Winter Lawn Care

With the majority of lawns in the Britain currently covered under anything from a few centimetres of snow to double figures, the lawn is the last thing on your mind. Personal survival during this cold snap or trying to get along the pavement which is now covered in ice or fear of black ice whilst driving.

Under the snow, the grass will not stop growing, slow though the growth might be.