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

Help your lawn out of the winter doldrums

After quite a mild and dry January your lawn will soon be screaming out for a tonic to lift it out of the winter doldrums.

The start of the RBS Six Nations Rugby is always a good timely focus of remembering your lawn does exist and could do with some TLC at this time of the year.  The rugby pitch at Murrayfield in Scotland suffers from colder growing conditions than say The Millenium Stadium in Wales and the Grounds Staff at both stadium will be hoping for warmer climes to establish the playing surface and aid recovery after a gruelling match. 

Are Earthworms spoling your Lawn?

The worms do a splendid job in the soil just beneath the grass crown, but it is a pity that their soil cast deposits pose such a problem for lawn owners.

CastClear is an organic non-pesticide control solution available to domestic lawn owners to deter the worms from casting.   There are only five types of casting worms found in UK lawns. 

Other European countries also suffer worm worm casts on turf.  The problem can be solved  CastClear is the solution to lawn soil casts.

Boo! Happy Halloween!

What does Halloween means?  Nothing to do with Lawn Care at all!   Perhaps scary Pumpkins will help ward of lawn worm casts?

 

Halloween is a holiday celebrated each year on October 31, and Halloween 2021 will occur on Sunday, October 31. The tradition originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts.

November Lawn Care Advice

As we enter November after a rather dry October where this month we saw 15 days days with rainfall out of a potential 31 days and 68mm of rain there were multi days to get out into the garden to tend and care for the lawn.  Last year we had twice as much rain at 131mm rain in 24 days.

In the month of November there are still a lot of jobs that you can complete on your lawn and garden to get it ready for winter:

Trim the lawn edges

Clear the fallen leaves & twigs

Mow bi-weekly

Earthworm Casts on Artificial Lawns

If you have an artificial lawn in your garden, do not be surprised if you get some Earthworm casts on the surface of the grass or around the brick edges.

We have received a lot of calls from worried lawn owners on the same subject and some are blaming their artificial lawn installer for the problem stating that Earthworms should not be able to break their way through the grass underlay or fibre. How incorrect they are.

Deterring Earthworm Casts on your Lawn

As the soil air to water ratio changes in the more traditional autumn months, you will notice an increase in lawn earthworm soil cast activity.  In the USA, they call earthworms them Night Crawlers.

The wetter the autumn or winter, the greater the earthworm activity will be. The root zone of the lawn will become spongy as the worms undermine the upper surface and mowing will become difficult, especially with a cylinder mower. The use of the lawn will diminish as a result of the difficult surface conditions.

As the soil air to water ratio changes in the more traditional autumn months, you will notice an increase in lawn earthworm soil cast activity.  In the USA, they call earthworms them Night Crawlers.

The wetter the autumn or winter, the greater the earthworm activity will be. The root zone of the lawn will become spongy as the worms undermine the upper surface and mowing will become difficult, especially with a cylinder mower. The use of the lawn will diminish as a result of the difficult surface conditions.

Controlling an Attack of Rust Disease on your Lawn

We are now in the late summer months and will soon be in autumn and that time of year when you go outside and shrug your shoulders at the dropping night time temperatures.

Not suggesting that the summer is over as the weather might be unseasonably warmer this weekend after a lot of rain. 

The last time I thought about treating Rust was on my old Mini Metro that was rather prone to it on the front panels - well it was almost a 100 rust bucket to be honest!  Glad to see that car construction has moved on a bit since the early 80's.

Now we bet you were not aware of the fact that your lawn can suffer from an outbreak of Rust?

Not suggesting that the summer is over as the weather might be unseasonably warmer this weekend after a lot of rain. 

The last time I thought about treating Rust was on my old Mini Metro that was rather prone to it on the front panels - well it was almost a 100 rust bucket to be honest!  Glad to see that car construction has moved on a bit since the early 80's.

Blooming Earthworm Casts on the Lawn

For several decades, lawns both small and large have been plagued by worm casts. The worms do a splendid job in the soil just beneath the grass plant crown, but it's their soil cast deposits that pose a real problem for lawn owners.

With the recent wet August, the earthworms are having a field day!

The domestic lawn is set to become a sanctuary for casting worms this spring. The record volume of rainfall this winter coupled with mild temperatures is the ideal scenario for this to become a reality. Although the ideal time for worm cast control is early September, the use of CastClear® can help alleviate worm deposits now!

 

For several decades, lawns both small and large have been plagued by worm casts. The worms do a splendid job in the soil just beneath the grass plant crown, but it's their soil cast deposits that pose a real problem for lawn owners.

With the recent wet August, the earthworms are having a field day!

The domestic lawn is set to become a sanctuary for casting worms this spring. The record volume of rainfall this winter coupled with mild temperatures is the ideal scenario for this to become a reality. Although the ideal time for worm cast control is early September, the use of CastClear® can help alleviate worm deposits now!

 

For several decades, lawns both small and large have been plagued by worm casts. The worms do a splendid job in the soil just beneath the grass plant crown, but it's their soil cast deposits that pose a real problem for lawn owners.

With the recent wet August, the earthworms are having a field day!

The domestic lawn is set to become a sanctuary for casting worms this spring. The record volume of rainfall this winter coupled with mild temperatures is the ideal scenario for this to become a reality. Although the ideal time for worm cast control is early September, the use of CastClear® can help alleviate worm deposits now!

 

Is it really May? Feels like Winter out there

It still feels like winter out there and we have not yet seen the spring burst of grass growth.  April was the third coldest April in almost 140 years, the Met Office has said, and had the lowest average minimum temperature since 1922.

April was also the frostiest and driest on record. The Met Office said just 4.7mm of rainfall had fallen in England since the start of the month. The driest on record is 1938, when there was just 6.7mm of rain.  We have now had some decent rain to help lift the lawns out of the winbter doldrums.

The Solution to Worm Casts on Lawns

There are a lot of lawns being ruined by worm casts with recent rainfall, with multi sticky mounds of soil coming through the lawn.

Earthworm infestations can be massive, with many thousands per every 100 square metres.

It is not the worms that are directly the problem, but their castings on your lawn. 

There are a lot of lawns being ruined by worm casts with recent rainfall, with multi sticky mounds of soil coming through the lawn.

Earthworm infestations can be massive, with many thousands per every 100 square metres.

It is not the worms that are directly the problem, but their castings on your lawn. 

Deterring Earthworms from setting their casts on your lawn

As the soil air to water ratio changes in the more traditional autumn months, you will notice an increase in lawn earthworm soil cast activity.  In the USA, they call earthworms them Night Crawlers.

The wetter the autumn or winter, the greater the earthworm activity will be. The root zone of the lawn will become spongy as the worms undermine the upper surface and mowing will become difficult, especially with a cylinder mower. The use of the lawn will diminish as a result of the difficult surface conditions.

Pesticide Training at Home

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?

Pesticide training courses are a bit rare under Covid restrictions so why not learn the subject matter in the safety of your home?

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.

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?

Pesticide training courses are a bit rare under Covid restrictions so why not learn the subject matter in the safety of your home?

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.

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?

Pesticide training courses are a bit rare under Covid restrictions so why not learn the subject matter in the safety of your home?

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.

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?

Pesticide training courses are a bit rare under Covid restrictions so why not learn the subject matter in the safety of your home?

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.

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?

Pesticide training courses are a bit rare under Covid restrictions so why not learn the subject matter in the safety of your home?

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.

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?

Pesticide training courses are a bit rare under Covid restrictions so why not learn the subject matter in the safety of your home?

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.

The Solution to Lawn Worm Casts

CastClear is the solution to lawn worm casts.  It's a lawn soil cast suppressant and a deterrent.  It's proven control on both lawns and sports turf.

Which? Gardening Trials Team trialled it and gave it the thumbs up.

It is unique in using a surfactant system that moves the nutrient into the upper soil structure and fixes it there providing good persistence of deterrent effect until breaking down to natural nutrients absorbed by plant roots.

October Lawn Care Advice

With an Indian summer and warm temperatures in September, October has started with a crash with colder weather and rain.  

Storm Alex and another low-pressure system will buffet parts of the UK with strong winds and heavy showers over the next three days, bringing the possibility of localised flooding and travel disruptions reports Rory Sullivan in the Independent Newspaper today.

Forecasters have said that parts of the English south coast could see winds of up to 65mph and could experience flooding by the end of Sunday.

Controlling Leatherjacket Larvae

We are all aware of "Daddy Long Legs" flying around in the late summer months, being chased by the cat and dog with children finding fun pulling the legs off the fly like insects!

What you may not be aware of is the devastating effect the larvae of the insects can have - literally stripping a lawn bare! Do not under estimate them!

What are they?

Leatherjackets are the Larvae of the Crane Fly or Daddy Long Legs, as they are more commonly known. The fully grown Larvae are typically up to 4 cm in length.

What you may not be aware of is the devastating effect the larvae of the insects can have - literally stripping a lawn bare! Do not under estimate them!

What are they?

Leatherjackets are the Larvae of the Crane Fly or Daddy Long Legs, as they are more commonly known. The fully grown Larvae are typically up to 4 cm in length.