Grass Clippings - Lawn Advice From a Team of Lawn and Turf Experts

Worm Cast Treatment for amateur lawn owner use

A Worm Cast Treatment product is finally available to amateur lawn owners.

The worm casts on the lawn can be a real problem over the autumn to spring months.  The worms are great for the lawn, their casts not so. 

A soft surface, a muddy surface, platform shoes caked in worm casts, messy mower, muddy dog paw marks on the kitchen floor - you get the idea!  The worms will naturally deposit their cast on the lawn at this time of year.  Never underestimate the amount of soil a troop of worms can leave on the lawn's surface. 

Red Thread threat to summer lawns

Red Thread Disease in you lawn's season is now upon us. Warm and wet environmental conditions are ideal for an outbreak of this unsightly lawn disease.  

It is fairly easy to prevent an outbreak of this lawn disease.  The majority of lawns were fertilised in the spring months and now the benefit of that feed is wearing off.  Add into the equation that some of the nutrients in the turf grass plants end up in the mower box as grass clippings and you can soon build up a picture as to why the grass may become weak and susceptible to an attack of Red Thread Disease. The presence of the Red Thread pathogen is unfortunately within some grass species and purchasing good quality certified grass seed is important as these are usually the top ten cultivars for a specie where everyone in the supply chain has tried hard to improve the rating for 'freedom of Red Thread'.

Turf Professionals head to Windsor Race Course

If you are a regular commuter along the M4 motorway this week you would have noticed an increase in traffic in and around the Windsor area.  The Institute of Groundsmanship SALTEX Exhibition is in full swing this week - lots of turf professionals who know a lot about grass standing on a grass race course, talking about grass is the way one of my friends describes the trade show. 

The Lawn Company have been regular exhibitors and supporters of the Sports and Leisure Trade Exhibition for over 16 years but chose not to take space for the past three years.  This is the premier trade show where companies involved in the successful sports turf and care market can display their new products and also catch up with customers and key trade personnel without the need to spend ages on the telephone or congested road network of the UK.

Wetting Agents - curing the dry patches in your lawn

A few months ago, you might not have been concerned about the dry patches in your lawn, when the majority of people's lawns were brown to a crisp.

Now we have had some rainfall and the majority of the lawn has greened up, the problem areas are now very evident as these areas are still dry and brown with patchy grass growth.

Dry Patch is a little know problem of turf in amateur lawn circles but one that has an incredible impact in ensuring consistent colour, growth, nutrient status, run of the ball and most of all visual impact and continuity of grass cover.

You may notice a darkening halo on parts of the lawn, visible from the upstairs window. This is a good indicator that the soil underneath is starting to or has dried out. 

Worm Casts - the solution

Help is now available to amateur lawn owners - you can now obtain a worm cast control product in liquid form that may be applied to the lawn to deter the worms from casting.  Visit the CastClear Worm Deterrent web site for more information.

The worms do a splendid job in the soil just beneath the grass crown, but it is a pity that their casts pose such a problem for lawn owners.  Worm casts on a lawn and any sports or amenity turf surface can cause severe problems for more than one reason.

Soil deposited on the turf surface will quickly clog up and stick to the moving parts of cylinder and rotary mower and also accumulate around rollers and wheels and operators feet giving them the classical 1970's platform shoes in no time!  

Soil wrapping around rollers will interfere with the required height of cut by effectively lifting the mower above the grass meaning that the cylinder and bottom blade are artificially higher and as a result, inconsistent grass height happens.  Soil is also abrasive and if a machine is constantly forced to work in far from ideal conditions, sharpening and maintenance or even part replacement costs can occur.