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

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

There are many Turf Cutters or Turf Strippers on the market and available from the local plant hire shop.

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.

There are many Turf Cutters or Turf Strippers on the market and available from the local plant hire shop.

Lawn Consultancy Service

The great thing about being into lawns is that you are always in demand and undertaking Lawn Consultancy contracts forms a big part of our business concept.  We are also rarely out of work when the weather lets us perform our usual work activities.

Having said this, to acquire a degree in turf culture takes years of study and examinations and also years of 'on the job training' too which supplements the theory, the final degree examinations being some 21 hours long. And you thought it was just 'grass'...

The great thing about being into lawns is that you are always in demand and undertaking Lawn Consultancy contracts forms a big part of our business concept.  We are also rarely out of work when the weather lets us perform our usual work activities.

Having said this, to acquire a degree in turf culture takes years of study and examinations and also years of 'on the job training' too which supplements the theory, the final degree examinations being some 21 hours long. And you thought it was just 'grass'...

The great thing about being into lawns is that you are always in demand and undertaking Lawn Consultancy contracts forms a big part of our business concept.  We are also rarely out of work when the weather lets us perform our usual work activities.

Having said this, to acquire a degree in turf culture takes years of study and examinations and also years of 'on the job training' too which supplements the theory, the final degree examinations being some 21 hours long. And you thought it was just 'grass'...

Do it Yourself Lawn Care Vs Lawn Treatment Companies

What the majority of lawn owners require is clear, concise and consistent advice.  We live in a service industry world and having your lawn treated is a bit like getting your laundry done. 

Increasingly, we note on our travels that lawn owners are trying one or more of the many lawn treatment companies for a couple of years and then seeking a change, more often than not reverting back towards looking after their lawns themselves now that the weeds and moss have gone and the grass quality and density is so much better than it was before the lawn treatment company were employed. They also get complete control over the annual lawn treatment programme and do away with missed visits, inflexible treatments and mechanical programmes and direct debits.

What the majority of lawn owners require is clear, concise and consistent advice.  We live in a service industry world and having your lawn treated is a bit like getting your laundry done. 

Increasingly, we note on our travels that lawn owners are trying one or more of the many lawn treatment companies for a couple of years and then seeking a change, more often than not reverting back towards looking after their lawns themselves now that the weeds and moss have gone and the grass quality and density is so much better than it was before the lawn treatment company were employed. They also get complete control over the annual lawn treatment programme and do away with missed visits, inflexible treatments and mechanical programmes and direct debits.

Nematodes are a simple and effective way to control multi garden pests

Forget about the once complicated and daunting world of pest control; the modern domestic gardener uses the sophisticated, yet simple, biological method of simply watering on nematodes.

Nematodes are micro-organisms which occur naturally in the soil where they hunt down and attack pests, with each nematode species having its own specific prey, meaning that they will harm their prey, and only their prey.  BASF has the largest specialist nematode production facility in the EU – and the only one in Britain - growing trillions of beneficial nematodes for use in their Nemasys range of pest controls.

Ed Miliband 'cutting it fine' in Flymo PR stunt

It was a PR stunt billed as Ed Miliband’s ‘grass-roots strategy in action’ during the local election campaign.

But photographs of him helping a constituent mow her lawn backfired yesterday when she said he didn’t know how to start the machine.

To add to the embarrassment, the angry woman said she was not a Labour voter but if it had been his brother, David, it would have been ‘absolutely fine’.

Self-Study NPTC Pesticide Training Modules

Who better to train you in the safe use of pesticides than an organisation that is doing what you will be trained to do, each day of the year?

Weed Free are able to provide formal training and assessments for Food and Environment Protection Act Certificates of Competence in the Safe use of Pesticides. Each year, we train many Greenkeepers and Sports Turf Managers and Local Authority Staff.

You can purchase self-learn NPTC / City & Guilds training modules and other publications here.

Who better to train you in the safe use of pesticides than an organisation that is doing what you will be trained to do, each day of the year?

Weed Free are able to provide formal training and assessments for Food and Environment Protection Act Certificates of Competence in the Safe use of Pesticides. Each year, we train many Greenkeepers and Sports Turf Managers and Local Authority Staff.

You can purchase self-learn NPTC / City & Guilds training modules and other publications here.

Who better to train you in the safe use of pesticides than an organisation that is doing what you will be trained to do, each day of the year?

Weed Free are able to provide formal training and assessments for Food and Environment Protection Act Certificates of Competence in the Safe use of Pesticides. Each year, we train many Greenkeepers and Sports Turf Managers and Local Authority Staff.

You can purchase self-learn NPTC / City & Guilds training modules and other publications here.

Establishing a lawn with grass seed

The are many lawn care companies undertaking lawn renovations such as The Lawn Company, that may include over seeding with new grass seed to improve the turf grass content of an old or maybe a new lawn installation from bare soil.

In the case of a new lawn installation, the choice of whether to turf or seed is down to the preference of the lawn owner and budget.  Turf is 8 - 12 months old when it is harvested whereas it can take almost 6 months for newly sown grass seeds to get to the same point of maturity that turf is when it is laid.

The are many lawn care companies undertaking lawn renovations such as The Lawn Company, that may include over seeding with new grass seed to improve the turf grass content of an old or maybe a new lawn installation from bare soil.

In the case of a new lawn installation, the choice of whether to turf or seed is down to the preference of the lawn owner and budget.  Turf is 8 - 12 months old when it is harvested whereas it can take almost 6 months for newly sown grass seeds to get to the same point of maturity that turf is when it is laid.

The are many lawn care companies undertaking lawn renovations such as The Lawn Company, that may include over seeding with new grass seed to improve the turf grass content of an old or maybe a new lawn installation from bare soil.

In the case of a new lawn installation, the choice of whether to turf or seed is down to the preference of the lawn owner and budget.  Turf is 8 - 12 months old when it is harvested whereas it can take almost 6 months for newly sown grass seeds to get to the same point of maturity that turf is when it is laid.

Beat the drought - Top Tips

With only 5.5mm of rain in 34 days, we are in a double drought.  With no long term rain forecast we may need to adopt a Keep Calm and Carry On attitude ahead of any looming water restrictions in the garden.  In the same time period last year, we received 47 mm of rainfall. 

Turf grasses are tougher than you might think.  There are lots of things you can do to your lawn to keep it looking healthy and beat the drought. 

A drought is only 13 days without rain and the past autumn and winter has been really dry.  It does not have to be nice and sunny like in the summer of 1976 for there to be a drought and you would have still needed to water your garden over the past winter period.

With only 5.5mm of rain in 34 days, we are in a double drought.  With no long term rain forecast we may need to adopt a Keep Calm and Carry On attitude ahead of any looming water restrictions in the garden.  In the same time period last year, we received 47 mm of rainfall. 

Turf grasses are tougher than you might think.  There are lots of things you can do to your lawn to keep it looking healthy and beat the drought. 

A drought is only 13 days without rain and the past autumn and winter has been really dry.  It does not have to be nice and sunny like in the summer of 1976 for there to be a drought and you would have still needed to water your garden over the past winter period.

Nematode control of Leatherjackets in your lawn

There are a few lawn pests that will eat away at your grass roots this spring time, thus destroying a lawn and one of them is Leatherjackets - the larvae of the Daddy Long Legs or Crane Fly to be technically correct.

Last late summer, the adults were flying around and being batted by the Cat but their work as adults is now done! They have laid their numerous eggs in your nice green sward and now they are hatching into hungry larvae ready to start attacking your nice new grass roots.  Never ever underestimate the damage that a troop of Leatherjacket larvae can inflict on a grass area.

Sadly, now the EU have banned Bayer Provado active ingredient and also the professional insecticide based on Chlorpyrifos, there are no current EU or UK approved control products to control Leatherjackets apart from Biological Controls such as Nemasys Leatherjacket Nematodes.  The same applies to Chafer Beetle Larvae, only biological control and available by contacting Green Gardener online.

There are a few lawn pests that will eat away at your grass roots this spring time, thus destroying a lawn and one of them is Leatherjackets - the larvae of the Daddy Long Legs or Crane Fly to be technically correct.

Last late summer, the adults were flying around and being batted by the Cat but their work as adults is now done! They have laid their numerous eggs in your nice green sward and now they are hatching into hungry larvae ready to start attacking your nice new grass roots.  Never ever underestimate the damage that a troop of Leatherjacket larvae can inflict on a grass area.

Sadly, now the EU have banned Bayer Provado active ingredient and also the professional insecticide based on Chlorpyrifos, there are no current EU or UK approved control products to control Leatherjackets apart from Biological Controls such as Nemasys Leatherjacket Nematodes.  The same applies to Chafer Beetle Larvae, only biological control and available by contacting Green Gardener online.

There are a few lawn pests that will eat away at your grass roots this spring time, thus destroying a lawn and one of them is Leatherjackets - the larvae of the Daddy Long Legs or Crane Fly to be technically correct.

Last late summer, the adults were flying around and being batted by the Cat but their work as adults is now done! They have laid their numerous eggs in your nice green sward and now they are hatching into hungry larvae ready to start attacking your nice new grass roots.  Never ever underestimate the damage that a troop of Leatherjacket larvae can inflict on a grass area.

Sadly, now the EU have banned Bayer Provado active ingredient and also the professional insecticide based on Chlorpyrifos, there are no current EU or UK approved control products to control Leatherjackets apart from Biological Controls such as Nemasys Leatherjacket Nematodes.  The same applies to Chafer Beetle Larvae, only biological control and available by contacting Green Gardener online.

There are a few lawn pests that will eat away at your grass roots this spring time, thus destroying a lawn and one of them is Leatherjackets - the larvae of the Daddy Long Legs or Crane Fly to be technically correct.

Last late summer, the adults were flying around and being batted by the Cat but their work as adults is now done! They have laid their numerous eggs in your nice green sward and now they are hatching into hungry larvae ready to start attacking your nice new grass roots.  Never ever underestimate the damage that a troop of Leatherjacket larvae can inflict on a grass area.

Sadly, now the EU have banned Bayer Provado active ingredient and also the professional insecticide based on Chlorpyrifos, there are no current EU or UK approved control products to control Leatherjackets apart from Biological Controls such as Nemasys Leatherjacket Nematodes.  The same applies to Chafer Beetle Larvae, only biological control and available by contacting Green Gardener online.

Successful application of lawn fertiliser

We have all seen it - stripy lawns where a lawn fertiliser has been incorrectly applied. A bit like the picture of the lawn shown here. It is important to learn how to fertilise a lawn so that you encourage even and consistent growth and colour and plant health. The problem arises when you have the job of trying to match in the light and dark bands of grass without over application of a lawn fertiliser.

The application of a lawn care product such as a granular lawn fertiliser is a calibrated process. Ensuring the correct number of Grams or Kilograms over a certain area, such as 35 grams per single square metre.

We have all seen it - stripy lawns where a lawn fertiliser has been incorrectly applied. A bit like the picture of the lawn shown here. It is important to learn how to fertilise a lawn so that you encourage even and consistent growth and colour and plant health. The problem arises when you have the job of trying to match in the light and dark bands of grass without over application of a lawn fertiliser.

The application of a lawn care product such as a granular lawn fertiliser is a calibrated process. Ensuring the correct number of Grams or Kilograms over a certain area, such as 35 grams per single square metre.

Using a Garden Sprayer

Picking up a knapsack sprayer for the first time and wondering how to calibrate it can be a scary moment for any lawn owner. 

Lawn owners and gardeners will soon be reaching for theirs to apply a soluble iron for moss control, a lawn worm cast suppressant or maybe some total weed control to tidy the garden up a bit.

Picking up a knapsack sprayer for the first time and wondering how to calibrate it can be a scary moment for any lawn owner. 

Lawn owners and gardeners will soon be reaching for theirs to apply a soluble iron for moss control, a lawn worm cast suppressant or maybe some total weed control to tidy the garden up a bit.

Picking up a knapsack sprayer for the first time and wondering how to calibrate it can be a scary moment for any lawn owner. 

Lawn owners and gardeners will soon be reaching for theirs to apply a soluble iron for moss control, a lawn worm cast suppressant or maybe some total weed control to tidy the garden up a bit.

Managing Editor of Grass Clippings - A RHS Lawn and Turf Expert Speaker & Judge

Our Managing Editor, Mike Seaton, is a Fellow Member of The Institute of Groundsmanship and has had an extensive career in the turf and lawn industry.

'Being a lawn specialist is a bit like being a Doctor at a party. The lawn is after all the carpet of the room outside and the lawn is often the largest part of the garden and the most neglected by many.' 

Our Managing Editor, Mike Seaton, is a Fellow Member of The Institute of Groundsmanship and has had an extensive career in the turf and lawn industry.

'Being a lawn specialist is a bit like being a Doctor at a party. The lawn is after all the carpet of the room outside and the lawn is often the largest part of the garden and the most neglected by many.' 

Our Managing Editor, Mike Seaton, is a Fellow Member of The Institute of Groundsmanship and has had an extensive career in the turf and lawn industry.

'Being a lawn specialist is a bit like being a Doctor at a party. The lawn is after all the carpet of the room outside and the lawn is often the largest part of the garden and the most neglected by many.' 

Helping your lawn beat the drought

You do not need to be a rocket scientist to notice that the weather has been a little dry of late - lots of brown almost drought ridden grasses and fairways.  With only 3mm of rain so far in April, hardly surprising!

Grass mown at a regular interval will always be so much browner than the roadside verge. The Local Authority love a drought as it means that they do not have to mow the verges or lawns as much thus reducing their quota of cuts per annum, saving them money overall.

You do not need to be a rocket scientist to notice that the weather has been a little dry of late - lots of brown almost drought ridden grasses and fairways.  With only 3mm of rain so far in April, hardly surprising!

Grass mown at a regular interval will always be so much browner than the roadside verge. The Local Authority love a drought as it means that they do not have to mow the verges or lawns as much thus reducing their quota of cuts per annum, saving them money overall.

Our Climate is Changing and your Garden will be affected

A new report shows that issues surrounding climate change are more pressing than ever, and gardeners have an important role to play writes Royal Horticultural Society staff member Eleanor Webster:

'In February 2016, I joined the RHS Science team as the charity's first ever Climate Scientist. Immediately there was lots to think about, for example: how are gardeners being affected by climate change? If so, how are they adapting? What advice do gardeners need to help with adaptation?