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

Pesticide Training Modules Available for Self-Study

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?

This week, we have been training at a Local Authority, which was fun as it was a bit cold doing the practical for PA6A Knapsack!  We survived!  If you do not have time to take work time off for training, there is an alternative service we can provide for candidates needing their NPTC paperwork.  Read on:

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?

This week, we have been training at a Local Authority, which was fun as it was a bit cold doing the practical for PA6A Knapsack!  We survived!  If you do not have time to take work time off for training, there is an alternative service we can provide for candidates needing their NPTC paperwork.  Read on:

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?

This week, we have been training at a Local Authority, which was fun as it was a bit cold doing the practical for PA6A Knapsack!  We survived!  If you do not have time to take work time off for training, there is an alternative service we can provide for candidates needing their NPTC paperwork.  Read on:

Summer Lawn Weed Control

Have you ever wondered why selective herbicides kill weeds and not the lawn grasses?

The weeds in the lawn are really going for it as there is plenty of moisture and few dry days to apply a selective weed killer.

The internal biological make up of weeds and grasses is different. The weeds, like trees and shrubs have Cambium Cells. These cells provide support in the main trunk and branches of the tree or weed. The selective weed killer is a growth hormone that mimics the actual growth hormone 'Gibberelline' - the plant hormone responsible for secondary thickening. The selective turf herbicide is absorbed by the weeds and after a while, the weeds go into super growth, with their stems twisting and distorting. The weeds actually outgrow themselves and when their overall structure has literally had it, they die. Grasses do not have Cambium Cells so although they might absorb some of the chemical, it has no affect - if applied correctly in the first place!

Have you ever wondered why selective herbicides kill weeds and not the lawn grasses?

The weeds in the lawn are really going for it as there is plenty of moisture and few dry days to apply a selective weed killer.

The internal biological make up of weeds and grasses is different. The weeds, like trees and shrubs have Cambium Cells. These cells provide support in the main trunk and branches of the tree or weed. The selective weed killer is a growth hormone that mimics the actual growth hormone 'Gibberelline' - the plant hormone responsible for secondary thickening. The selective turf herbicide is absorbed by the weeds and after a while, the weeds go into super growth, with their stems twisting and distorting. The weeds actually outgrow themselves and when their overall structure has literally had it, they die. Grasses do not have Cambium Cells so although they might absorb some of the chemical, it has no affect - if applied correctly in the first place!

Have you ever wondered why selective herbicides kill weeds and not the lawn grasses?

The weeds in the lawn are really going for it as there is plenty of moisture and few dry days to apply a selective weed killer.

The internal biological make up of weeds and grasses is different. The weeds, like trees and shrubs have Cambium Cells. These cells provide support in the main trunk and branches of the tree or weed. The selective weed killer is a growth hormone that mimics the actual growth hormone 'Gibberelline' - the plant hormone responsible for secondary thickening. The selective turf herbicide is absorbed by the weeds and after a while, the weeds go into super growth, with their stems twisting and distorting. The weeds actually outgrow themselves and when their overall structure has literally had it, they die. Grasses do not have Cambium Cells so although they might absorb some of the chemical, it has no affect - if applied correctly in the first place!

Indigo Garden Spray Dye is Amazon's Choice Product

When lawn owners make liquid or chemical applications to their lawn, they are faced with a big dilemma - how can they mark where they have sprayed already?

Professional Turf Managers have been using Spray Pattern Indicator Dyes for decades but these have never been widely available before to the amateur lawn owner. 

Indigo Garden Spray Dye is still an Amazon Choice Product.

Turf Managers also use what is called a foam bout marker on their large sprayers which leaves a trace blob of foam down the travelled run of the fairway so that the operator can match up with the last pass on the return run.  The foam soon disappears after an hour via sunlight.

When lawn owners make liquid or chemical applications to their lawn, they are faced with a big dilemma - how can they mark where they have sprayed already?

Professional Turf Managers have been using Spray Pattern Indicator Dyes for decades but these have never been widely available before to the amateur lawn owner. 

Indigo Garden Spray Dye is still an Amazon Choice Product.

Turf Managers also use what is called a foam bout marker on their large sprayers which leaves a trace blob of foam down the travelled run of the fairway so that the operator can match up with the last pass on the return run.  The foam soon disappears after an hour via sunlight.

When lawn owners make liquid or chemical applications to their lawn, they are faced with a big dilemma - how can they mark where they have sprayed already?

Professional Turf Managers have been using Spray Pattern Indicator Dyes for decades but these have never been widely available before to the amateur lawn owner. 

Indigo Garden Spray Dye is still an Amazon Choice Product.

Turf Managers also use what is called a foam bout marker on their large sprayers which leaves a trace blob of foam down the travelled run of the fairway so that the operator can match up with the last pass on the return run.  The foam soon disappears after an hour via sunlight.

When lawn owners make liquid or chemical applications to their lawn, they are faced with a big dilemma - how can they mark where they have sprayed already?

Professional Turf Managers have been using Spray Pattern Indicator Dyes for decades but these have never been widely available before to the amateur lawn owner. 

Indigo Garden Spray Dye is still an Amazon Choice Product.

Turf Managers also use what is called a foam bout marker on their large sprayers which leaves a trace blob of foam down the travelled run of the fairway so that the operator can match up with the last pass on the return run.  The foam soon disappears after an hour via sunlight.

Spring your Lawn into Life

With the Country currently in the grips of Storm Gareth, the weather is hardly encouranging people to get outside to make a start on their gardens through fear of being hit by a stray branch debris or a roof tile. Hard hats at the ready!

Still, thinking back to last year and the 'Beast from the East', with a zero spring-time, this March has been a whole lot better so let's not complain about the weather quite yet.  The weather was so nice and sunny a few weeks back.

With the Country currently in the grips of Storm Gareth, the weather is hardly encouranging people to get outside to make a start on their gardens through fear of being hit by a stray branch debris or a roof tile. Hard hats at the ready!

Still, thinking back to last year and the 'Beast from the East', with a zero spring-time, this March has been a whole lot better so let's not complain about the weather quite yet.  The weather was so nice and sunny a few weeks back.

Service your Lawn Mower now!

Spare a thought for your lawn mower.  It's been in the garage or shed getting cold and damp for the past couple of months yet yearing to get back out there soon and get to work.  But what happens if it fails to turn over and spark into life?  

The world famous lawn mower engine manufacturers Briggs & Stratton have some handy tips to help the lawn owner should problems arise. 

Always read the manufacturers manual / handbook before attempting anything and remove the spark plug lead from the spark plug.

Spare a thought for your lawn mower.  It's been in the garage or shed getting cold and damp for the past couple of months yet yearing to get back out there soon and get to work.  But what happens if it fails to turn over and spark into life?  

The world famous lawn mower engine manufacturers Briggs & Stratton have some handy tips to help the lawn owner should problems arise. 

Always read the manufacturers manual / handbook before attempting anything and remove the spark plug lead from the spark plug.

Spare a thought for your lawn mower.  It's been in the garage or shed getting cold and damp for the past couple of months yet yearing to get back out there soon and get to work.  But what happens if it fails to turn over and spark into life?  

The world famous lawn mower engine manufacturers Briggs & Stratton have some handy tips to help the lawn owner should problems arise. 

Always read the manufacturers manual / handbook before attempting anything and remove the spark plug lead from the spark plug.

The Lawn Shop has had the decorators in

The Team at The Lawn Shop have been busy over the winter months undertaking a major re design of their busy, well used and respected online lawn care products shop.

We have made it more advice based with some great seasonal categories with tips for that time of year and a well resourced advice section to aid lawn owners in their quest for a better lawn.

There are also some great lawn care products in the online lawn shop, as used by professionals such as the slow release fertilisers and lawn moss control products and grass seed. 

The Lawn Company Team with over 34 years of turf and lawn care knowledge under their belts, continue to develop new and innovative lawn care products to solve the dilemas of domestic lawn owners in the UK and futher afield.  These include CastClear and Indigo Garden Spray Dye

Dyeing to see where you have treated your lawn

When lawn owners make liquid or chemical applications to their lawn, they are faced with a big dilemma - how can they mark where they have sprayed already?

Professional Turf Managers have been using Spray Pattern Indicator Dyes for decades but these have never been widely available before to the amateur lawn owner. 

Turf Managers also use what is called a foam bout marker on their large sprayers which leaves a trace blob of foam down the travelled run of the fairway so that the operator can match up with the last pass on the return run.  The foam soon disappears after an hour via sunlight.

When lawn owners make liquid or chemical applications to their lawn, they are faced with a big dilemma - how can they mark where they have sprayed already?

Professional Turf Managers have been using Spray Pattern Indicator Dyes for decades but these have never been widely available before to the amateur lawn owner. 

Turf Managers also use what is called a foam bout marker on their large sprayers which leaves a trace blob of foam down the travelled run of the fairway so that the operator can match up with the last pass on the return run.  The foam soon disappears after an hour via sunlight.

When lawn owners make liquid or chemical applications to their lawn, they are faced with a big dilemma - how can they mark where they have sprayed already?

Professional Turf Managers have been using Spray Pattern Indicator Dyes for decades but these have never been widely available before to the amateur lawn owner. 

Turf Managers also use what is called a foam bout marker on their large sprayers which leaves a trace blob of foam down the travelled run of the fairway so that the operator can match up with the last pass on the return run.  The foam soon disappears after an hour via sunlight.

When lawn owners make liquid or chemical applications to their lawn, they are faced with a big dilemma - how can they mark where they have sprayed already?

Professional Turf Managers have been using Spray Pattern Indicator Dyes for decades but these have never been widely available before to the amateur lawn owner. 

Turf Managers also use what is called a foam bout marker on their large sprayers which leaves a trace blob of foam down the travelled run of the fairway so that the operator can match up with the last pass on the return run.  The foam soon disappears after an hour via sunlight.

Lawn Mistakes - our Top Ten

Lawn care is a science and like all sciences there is a requirement to follow a sequence like a flow chart and also to keep everything in balance too. 

Tip the scales or be too reactive and your lawn will suffer, get diseased, go thin and less dense and sometimes die.

In no particular order, here are some of the errors we see when out and about visiting lawns:

1. Mowing too low and infrequently and always in the same direction

Lawn care is a science and like all sciences there is a requirement to follow a sequence like a flow chart and also to keep everything in balance too. 

Tip the scales or be too reactive and your lawn will suffer, get diseased, go thin and less dense and sometimes die.

In no particular order, here are some of the errors we see when out and about visiting lawns:

1. Mowing too low and infrequently and always in the same direction

Lawn care is a science and like all sciences there is a requirement to follow a sequence like a flow chart and also to keep everything in balance too. 

Tip the scales or be too reactive and your lawn will suffer, get diseased, go thin and less dense and sometimes die.

In no particular order, here are some of the errors we see when out and about visiting lawns:

1. Mowing too low and infrequently and always in the same direction

Lawn care is a science and like all sciences there is a requirement to follow a sequence like a flow chart and also to keep everything in balance too. 

Tip the scales or be too reactive and your lawn will suffer, get diseased, go thin and less dense and sometimes die.

In no particular order, here are some of the errors we see when out and about visiting lawns:

1. Mowing too low and infrequently and always in the same direction

Snow Drops in The Lawn

Our Managing Editor was out visiting a client's lawn this week and spotted his first Snowdrops of the year.  How great they looked and their presence really lifted a London garden.

Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) are perennial flowering plants native to large parts of Europe.  Found in many woodlands, churchyards, parks and gardens, snowdrops are some of the first bulbs of the year to bloom. 

This early flowering, which carpets the ground between January and April, is aided by hardened leaf tips that can push through frozen soil.  The downside to flowering in winter is that pollinating insects are scarce, so these little drops of snow spread mainly through bulb division.

Our Managing Editor was out visiting a client's lawn this week and spotted his first Snowdrops of the year.  How great they looked and their presence really lifted a London garden.

Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) are perennial flowering plants native to large parts of Europe.  Found in many woodlands, churchyards, parks and gardens, snowdrops are some of the first bulbs of the year to bloom. 

This early flowering, which carpets the ground between January and April, is aided by hardened leaf tips that can push through frozen soil.  The downside to flowering in winter is that pollinating insects are scarce, so these little drops of snow spread mainly through bulb division.

Our Managing Editor was out visiting a client's lawn this week and spotted his first Snowdrops of the year.  How great they looked and their presence really lifted a London garden.

Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) are perennial flowering plants native to large parts of Europe.  Found in many woodlands, churchyards, parks and gardens, snowdrops are some of the first bulbs of the year to bloom. 

This early flowering, which carpets the ground between January and April, is aided by hardened leaf tips that can push through frozen soil.  The downside to flowering in winter is that pollinating insects are scarce, so these little drops of snow spread mainly through bulb division.

Tackle Garden Weeds

A couple of friends recently came up with the same comment following their attempts at weed control in their gardens.  They had both applied a branded total weed killer on their gravel and pathways and remarked after a few days following application that "The weeds have not gone yet."

When I asked of them "When did you apply the control product?" they said only a few days ago to which I replied "You are expecting too much, please be patient."  Their observations on the speed of the mode of action of single active ingredient or a blend of active ingredients is rather common so a little bit of advice may be required in choice of product for the time of year follows.

A couple of friends recently came up with the same comment following their attempts at weed control in their gardens.  They had both applied a branded total weed killer on their gravel and pathways and remarked after a few days following application that "The weeds have not gone yet."

When I asked of them "When did you apply the control product?" they said only a few days ago to which I replied "You are expecting too much, please be patient."  Their observations on the speed of the mode of action of single active ingredient or a blend of active ingredients is rather common so a little bit of advice may be required in choice of product for the time of year follows.

Winter tonic for Lawns

December is a hard month for lawns and turf especially after a prolonged period of snow and frost.  It is always nice to see a green lawn over the winter but trying to achieve that result without the use of lawn fertiliser is a little hard to do.  

Help is at hand in the shape of Sulphate of Iron, Iron Sulphate as it is also called, an active ingredient of Lawn Sand.  Iron Sulphate will provide some much needed colour to your turf in the almost dormant grass growing months and the effect of application will provide a much need boost to 'lift' the lawn and it's colour when help is needed most.

Winter lawn care tips from The Lawn Company

With the Christmas holiday season looming, our thought process at this time of year is not always on our lawn.  The grass does not stop growing, but it slows almost to a stop and with a slight increase in temperature will easily grow over the winter months. 

The rain and winds of late have not exactly enouraged gardeners to get outdoors, albeit it to repair storm damage.

With the Christmas holiday season looming, our thought process at this time of year is not always on our lawn.  The grass does not stop growing, but it slows almost to a stop and with a slight increase in temperature will easily grow over the winter months. 

The rain and winds of late have not exactly enouraged gardeners to get outdoors, albeit it to repair storm damage.

With the Christmas holiday season looming, our thought process at this time of year is not always on our lawn.  The grass does not stop growing, but it slows almost to a stop and with a slight increase in temperature will easily grow over the winter months. 

The rain and winds of late have not exactly enouraged gardeners to get outdoors, albeit it to repair storm damage.

Should you stop mowing your lawn in the autumn?

It is a common question we are asked at Grass Clippings and our response is you should never stop mowing your lawn over the autumn or winter months.

The rate of growth and mowing yield will dramatically reduce as the night and day time temperatures drop but the grass will never actually stop growing and you should always be prepared to mow it little and often. The grasses in the lawn much like the plants in the garden do not hibernate over the winter and early spring months - they still grow but so much slower - on tick over.

It is a common question we are asked at Grass Clippings and our response is you should never stop mowing your lawn over the autumn or winter months.

The rate of growth and mowing yield will dramatically reduce as the night and day time temperatures drop but the grass will never actually stop growing and you should always be prepared to mow it little and often. The grasses in the lawn much like the plants in the garden do not hibernate over the winter and early spring months - they still grow but so much slower - on tick over.

It is a common question we are asked at Grass Clippings and our response is you should never stop mowing your lawn over the autumn or winter months.

The rate of growth and mowing yield will dramatically reduce as the night and day time temperatures drop but the grass will never actually stop growing and you should always be prepared to mow it little and often. The grasses in the lawn much like the plants in the garden do not hibernate over the winter and early spring months - they still grow but so much slower - on tick over.

It is a common question we are asked at Grass Clippings and our response is you should never stop mowing your lawn over the autumn or winter months.

The rate of growth and mowing yield will dramatically reduce as the night and day time temperatures drop but the grass will never actually stop growing and you should always be prepared to mow it little and often. The grasses in the lawn much like the plants in the garden do not hibernate over the winter and early spring months - they still grow but so much slower - on tick over.

Amazon's Choice Product - Indigo Garden Spray Dye

Indigo Garden Spray Dye is a brand NEW product for Garden Retail and Gardeners.

Indigo Garden Spray Dye, a spray indicator dye is Amazon's choice product, something that we are very pleased to be awarded. A great endorsement for this little wonder product.

How many times have you battled with trying to guess where you have or have not treated using a garden sprayer on your driveway or lawn?