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

Controlling Rust Disease on your Lawn

We are now in the late summer into autumn months and that time 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. 

How to Aerate your lawn and why we do it

Aeration is the making of holes in the lawns surface. The action of aerating will let the stale Carbon Dioxide air out of the soil and the fresh Oxygen rich air into the soil. The action of aerating will also stimulate and encourage root growth.

We perform the task by passing over the lawn with a garden fork, digging it deep into the lawns surface or with a mechanical aerator that will press steel tines of up to 125 mm into the lawn through to the root zone underneath.

A lawn should be aerated at least once annually.

Aeration is the making of holes in the lawns surface. The action of aerating will let the stale Carbon Dioxide air out of the soil and the fresh Oxygen rich air into the soil. The action of aerating will also stimulate and encourage root growth.

We perform the task by passing over the lawn with a garden fork, digging it deep into the lawns surface or with a mechanical aerator that will press steel tines of up to 125 mm into the lawn through to the root zone underneath.

A lawn should be aerated at least once annually.

Tips on aerating a lawn

Lawn enthusiasts will go to great lengths, not to mention expense, to work on the top surface of their lawn but totally neglect, and in many cases fail to understand, what is necessary below ground to keep the grass roots healthy and aerated.

We can imagine the shopping trolleys at the garden centre full of autumn lawn feed, Sulphate of Iron to combat any moss and perhaps some soil and seed to reinstate low and bare patches where the grass may have failed through the year but I somehow feel that spiking is not on most lawn owners to-do list.

Lawn enthusiasts will go to great lengths, not to mention expense, to work on the top surface of their lawn but totally neglect, and in many cases fail to understand, what is necessary below ground to keep the grass roots healthy and aerated.

We can imagine the shopping trolleys at the garden centre full of autumn lawn feed, Sulphate of Iron to combat any moss and perhaps some soil and seed to reinstate low and bare patches where the grass may have failed through the year but I somehow feel that spiking is not on most lawn owners to-do list.

Autumn Lawn Care Top 10 Tips

The night time temperatures have started to drop and there is news of snow and frost in the media so time to light the fire and dig out your thickest woolen jumper as we head into autumn.  Did we have a summer?  The grass growth has naturally slowed and you can get away with mowing twice a month now instead of weekly with mowing yields down too.

Don't make the assumption that you can forget about the lawn at the end of October until March as such a thought is foolish.  Autumn can be a busy time in the garden and there is still time to renovate your lawn and get it ship shape for next spring time.

The night time temperatures have started to drop and there is news of snow and frost in the media so time to light the fire and dig out your thickest woolen jumper as we head into autumn.  Did we have a summer?  The grass growth has naturally slowed and you can get away with mowing twice a month now instead of weekly with mowing yields down too.

Don't make the assumption that you can forget about the lawn at the end of October until March as such a thought is foolish.  Autumn can be a busy time in the garden and there is still time to renovate your lawn and get it ship shape for next spring time.

Expert Lawn Care Advice from the Grass Clippings Blog

An Expert is defined as a person with a high degree of skill in or knowledge of a certain subject.

A Specialist is defined as a person who specializes in or devotes herself/himself to a particular area of activity or field of research, etc.

There are therefore Lawn Experts and Lawn Specialists who can both lay claim to knowing a thing about lawns. 

An Expert is defined as a person with a high degree of skill in or knowledge of a certain subject.

A Specialist is defined as a person who specializes in or devotes herself/himself to a particular area of activity or field of research, etc.

There are therefore Lawn Experts and Lawn Specialists who can both lay claim to knowing a thing about lawns. 

Turf Prices to Rise

Rolawn the UK's leading turf grower and Britain's leading high quality topsoil supplier forecast that turf prices in the UK are set to increase over the coming months. The impact of challenging growing conditions starting with the cold wet winter, followed by the ‘Beast from the East' in spring, moving on to a record breaking hot dry summer has increased production costs in an unprecedented manner.

As widely reported many crops have been under tremendous pressure with yields sharply reduced combined with significantly higher costs, which can only result in significant upward pressure on price. Added to this, increases in fuel prices compared to last year means that the cost of turf production, harvesting and delivery have increased significantly.

Creative Lawn Stripes Winner Announced

A gardener has spent 273 hours mowing an amazing geometric pattern into his front lawn - using an antique lawnmower from the 1940s.

Keith Smith, 41, cut his grass three times a day for three months throughout the summer, spending 21 hours a week on his unique creation.

His hard work led to him being crowned champion at this year's Creative Lawn Stripes Competition.

Lawn care products made easy by The Lawn Shop

The hard working Team at The Lawn Shop have a variety of lawn care products to help your lawn cope with drought recovery and keep it tip top for the rest of the summer months.

You should have fertiised your lawn twice by now so if you have not, think about making a fertiliser application straight away now this hot and dry weather spell has subsides.  Your lawn will love you for it! The South East of the United Kingdom still has not had sufficient rainfall but every little helps.

The hard working Team at The Lawn Shop have a variety of lawn care products to help your lawn cope with drought recovery and keep it tip top for the rest of the summer months.

You should have fertiised your lawn twice by now so if you have not, think about making a fertiliser application straight away now this hot and dry weather spell has subsides.  Your lawn will love you for it! The South East of the United Kingdom still has not had sufficient rainfall but every little helps.

The hard working Team at The Lawn Shop have a variety of lawn care products to help your lawn cope with drought recovery and keep it tip top for the rest of the summer months.

The hard working Team at The Lawn Shop have a variety of lawn care products to help your lawn cope with drought recovery and keep it tip top for the rest of the summer months.

Eye Catching Retail Carton for CastClear®

CastClear® is a proven combination of both organic and unique nutrient materials large and small. It's the solution to lawn worm cast problems and has been selling in Garden Centres since the autumn of 2011 via 450 retail stockists. To enhance further retail sales CastClear® is rolling out a smart new retail carton into the garden retail sector this autumn.

Attractively packaged The sizes of 250ml, 500ml and 1,000ml are displayed as an attractive mix and have boosted sales to consumers. As POS (Point of Sale) becomes even more critical, this attractively packaged product really stands out on the shelves! The peak selling period for CastClear® is August to April but it does sell all year round on the product shelves. CastClear® compliments and enhances any lawn care display and will increase your sales so why not stock CastClear® now?

CastClear® is a proven combination of both organic and unique nutrient materials large and small. It's the solution to lawn worm cast problems and has been selling in Garden Centres since the autumn of 2011 via 450 retail stockists. To enhance further retail sales CastClear® is rolling out a smart new retail carton into the garden retail sector this autumn.

Attractively packaged The sizes of 250ml, 500ml and 1,000ml are displayed as an attractive mix and have boosted sales to consumers. As POS (Point of Sale) becomes even more critical, this attractively packaged product really stands out on the shelves! The peak selling period for CastClear® is August to April but it does sell all year round on the product shelves. CastClear® compliments and enhances any lawn care display and will increase your sales so why not stock CastClear® now?

CastClear® is a proven combination of both organic and unique nutrient materials large and small. It's the solution to lawn worm cast problems and has been selling in Garden Centres since the autumn of 2011 via 450 retail stockists. To enhance further retail sales CastClear® is rolling out a smart new retail carton into the garden retail sector this autumn.

Attractively packaged The sizes of 250ml, 500ml and 1,000ml are displayed as an attractive mix and have boosted sales to consumers. As POS (Point of Sale) becomes even more critical, this attractively packaged product really stands out on the shelves! The peak selling period for CastClear® is August to April but it does sell all year round on the product shelves. CastClear® compliments and enhances any lawn care display and will increase your sales so why not stock CastClear® now?

Bank Holiday Lawn Care Tips

You can tell by the weather of the last few days  that we are embarking on a Bank Holiday weekend.

Looks like sunshine and showers but naturally, the weather does not deter the British having a fun weekend off.

Below are a few Bank Holiday tips and jobs to be getting on with, should you be planning a weekend at home catching up in the garden after the drought. 

You can tell by the weather of the last few days  that we are embarking on a Bank Holiday weekend.

Looks like sunshine and showers but naturally, the weather does not deter the British having a fun weekend off.

Below are a few Bank Holiday tips and jobs to be getting on with, should you be planning a weekend at home catching up in the garden after the drought. 

Lawn Care Products by Subscription

What is Lawn in a Box? 

It's a kind of Lawn Club where a group of like-minded people whose main focus is to spend time doing what they love = looking after their lawns.

Clubs are very sociable and this fact hasn't changed very much at all over time. As Lawn in a Box gains momentum, there is scope for Member Only benefits and events where you will be invited to attend.  We are open to suggestions from our Members naturally as to what YOU want help with.

What is Lawn in a Box? 

It's a kind of Lawn Club where a group of like-minded people whose main focus is to spend time doing what they love = looking after their lawns.

Clubs are very sociable and this fact hasn't changed very much at all over time. As Lawn in a Box gains momentum, there is scope for Member Only benefits and events where you will be invited to attend.  We are open to suggestions from our Members naturally as to what YOU want help with.

Lawn Care Products Online from The Lawn Shop

These days, there is not much you cannot purchase over the internet.  The great thing about the internet is that you can connect with suppliers of some of the oddest items for sale. 

Years ago you could only buy a cooker from the High Street and now it's probably the last place you may look to select a particular item or model prior to purchase.

The internet is after all the shop window of companies selling their goods and services and most people are quite comfortable shopping online.   This include lawn care products.

These days, there is not much you cannot purchase over the internet.  The great thing about the internet is that you can connect with suppliers of some of the oddest items for sale. 

Years ago you could only buy a cooker from the High Street and now it's probably the last place you may look to select a particular item or model prior to purchase.

The internet is after all the shop window of companies selling their goods and services and most people are quite comfortable shopping online.   This include lawn care products.

These days, there is not much you cannot purchase over the internet.  The great thing about the internet is that you can connect with suppliers of some of the oddest items for sale. 

Years ago you could only buy a cooker from the High Street and now it's probably the last place you may look to select a particular item or model prior to purchase.

The internet is after all the shop window of companies selling their goods and services and most people are quite comfortable shopping online.   This include lawn care products.

Control lawn weeds now!

If you have a lot of weeds that have survived the drought in your lawn, now is almost the time to think about controlling the weeds in your lawn.

Lawn weeds compete for water, space, light with the turf grasses but mostly they look unsightly, should not be in a lawn and also they grow at a faster rate than the grass plants.

You normally get two periods of weed activity in a normal year. The broadleaf weeds such as Cat's Ear, Plantains, Daisies, Dandelions to name a view of them will easily over winter in the turf. These need to be killed early on before the second turf weed season starts when you get the Red, White Clovers, Yellow Suckling Clovers and Trefoils appearing in around May and June time.

If you have a lot of weeds that have survived the drought in your lawn, now is almost the time to think about controlling the weeds in your lawn.

Lawn weeds compete for water, space, light with the turf grasses but mostly they look unsightly, should not be in a lawn and also they grow at a faster rate than the grass plants.

You normally get two periods of weed activity in a normal year. The broadleaf weeds such as Cat's Ear, Plantains, Daisies, Dandelions to name a view of them will easily over winter in the turf. These need to be killed early on before the second turf weed season starts when you get the Red, White Clovers, Yellow Suckling Clovers and Trefoils appearing in around May and June time.

Carbendazim for Earthworm Control - The Alternatives

The Amenity Sports Turf Industry has had the registration for this useful fungicide pesticide active ingredient, which had a dual use for earthworm cast suppression revoked by the 'they should know better' EU Ministers last year, meaning that you are going to see an abundance of earthworm casts on your lawns, sports pitch & golf course this autumn. 

Last year, there was soome evident stock piling on Carbendazim pesticide active so this autumn will be the first period with the biggest worm cast impact seen on turf.

The garden retail product to deter lawn worm casts is CastClear, marketed by The Lawn Company who have sold over 13,000 litres of the product since they entered it into garden retail back in 2012.  At that time, there had not been a domestic approved, non-pesticide product in the garden retail industry for some 20 years or so prior to the arrival of CastClear.

The problem with preventing worm casts on larger areas with CastClear at 20 Litres per Hectare is the need to repeat the application every 17-20 days or so at one third of the initial dose rate. 

The Amenity Sports Turf Industry has had the registration for this useful fungicide pesticide active ingredient, which had a dual use for earthworm cast suppression revoked by the 'they should know better' EU Ministers last year, meaning that you are going to see an abundance of earthworm casts on your lawns, sports pitch & golf course this autumn. 

Last year, there was soome evident stock piling on Carbendazim pesticide active so this autumn will be the first period with the biggest worm cast impact seen on turf.

The garden retail product to deter lawn worm casts is CastClear, marketed by The Lawn Company who have sold over 13,000 litres of the product since they entered it into garden retail back in 2012.  At that time, there had not been a domestic approved, non-pesticide product in the garden retail industry for some 20 years or so prior to the arrival of CastClear.

The problem with preventing worm casts on larger areas with CastClear at 20 Litres per Hectare is the need to repeat the application every 17-20 days or so at one third of the initial dose rate. 

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.

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.