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

Love your Lawn

The history of Valentine's Day and the story of its patron saint is shrouded in mystery.

We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance, and that St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. But who was Saint Valentine, and how did he become associated with this ancient rite?

The history of Valentine's Day and the story of its patron saint is shrouded in mystery.

We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance, and that St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. But who was Saint Valentine, and how did he become associated with this ancient rite?

When to start mowing your lawn in the spring

Pick up any old lawn book and it will state that you should not mow the lawn between the end of October and end of February. This is rubbish. We are often asked by clients when should they start mowing the lawn in the spring. 

Anyone jetting off for some romantic winter sun this week could have saved their cash and stayed at home instead.  A flow of sub-tropical air is set to make Britain warmer than parts of the Mediterranean over the coming days as temperatures hit 15C (59F) by Valentine's Day tomorrow, which is more than double the seasonal average.

Pick up any old lawn book and it will state that you should not mow the lawn between the end of October and end of February. This is rubbish. We are often asked by clients when should they start mowing the lawn in the spring. 

Anyone jetting off for some romantic winter sun this week could have saved their cash and stayed at home instead.  A flow of sub-tropical air is set to make Britain warmer than parts of the Mediterranean over the coming days as temperatures hit 15C (59F) by Valentine's Day tomorrow, which is more than double the seasonal average.

Bees prefer Urban Gardens to Farmland

Bees driven off farm land due to changes in their natural environments are finding refuge in the 'posh' urban gardens of the middle classes.

Private green areas inside towns and cities, as well as communal spaces like allotments and parks, have become safe spaces for the pollinating insects.

That's down to the diversity of attractive species on offer, including lavender, dandelions, brambles and buttercups, researchers say.

Bees' natural habitats are being threatened by the use of pesticides and man-made changes to the range of plant species found in the environment.

First Aid tonic for Lawns in January

January is a hard month for lawns and turf especially after a prolonged period of snow and frost as and when it arrives.  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.

January is a hard month for lawns and turf especially after a prolonged period of snow and frost as and when it arrives.  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.

A Beginners Guide to Lawn Aeration

In a wet summer or autumn and through the winter months, failure to carry out a programme of lawn aeration can lead to an entirely different problem. This is when surface sealing can often occur, due to the compacting effect of trampling feet and heavy maintenance machinery.

Under these conditions, water is prevented from percolating; it will remain on the surface, restricting gaseous exchange and lead to moss or the build up of fibrous growth. If steps are not taken to relieve the compaction, a fibrous matt develops, restricting the amount of air, moisture and nutrients available to the grasses and creating ideal conditions for diseases to thrive.

In a wet summer or autumn and through the winter months, failure to carry out a programme of lawn aeration can lead to an entirely different problem. This is when surface sealing can often occur, due to the compacting effect of trampling feet and heavy maintenance machinery.

Under these conditions, water is prevented from percolating; it will remain on the surface, restricting gaseous exchange and lead to moss or the build up of fibrous growth. If steps are not taken to relieve the compaction, a fibrous matt develops, restricting the amount of air, moisture and nutrients available to the grasses and creating ideal conditions for diseases to thrive.

Grass or mud? Why Worm Casts are unhealthy for your Lawn

Worm casts on a lawn and any sports or amenity turf surface can cause severe problems for more than one reason.

CastClear - is The Solution to Lawn Worm Casts.  It is a unique liquid concentration of nutrient materials that have been clearly shown to reduce worm cast levels on lawns and sports turf. 

CastClear gives lawn and turf managers a life choice of worm casts or no worm casts and grass on their lawns over the winter when gardeners are doing everything they can to preserve the natural turf surface in the slower growing months.  Grass or mud, it's your choice.

Worm casts on a lawn and any sports or amenity turf surface can cause severe problems for more than one reason.

CastClear - is The Solution to Lawn Worm Casts.  It is a unique liquid concentration of nutrient materials that have been clearly shown to reduce worm cast levels on lawns and sports turf. 

CastClear gives lawn and turf managers a life choice of worm casts or no worm casts and grass on their lawns over the winter when gardeners are doing everything they can to preserve the natural turf surface in the slower growing months.  Grass or mud, it's your choice.

Beast from the East returns in January

A spell of bitterly cold weather nicknamed the “Beast from the East” could impact Britain with snow and sub-zero temperatures by the end of January, the Met Office has warned.

The weather is forecast to be fairly calm and settled in the coming weeks with above-average temperatures despite chilly overnight conditions during the next few days. 

But from mid-January, the Met Office said much colder weather is possible as freezing air from the east could engulf Britain via Siberia and Scandinavia.

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.

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

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.

Lawn Mower Dealer finder

Our Managing Editor was informed of this handy little web site that will help you with all your lawn mower needs.  It's really helpful!

The Lawn Mower Dealer Search offers you access to a database of over 270 UK authorised lawn mower retailers and dealers offering sales and support for all the major lawn mower and garden equipment manufacturers. It was set up by GGP UK Ltd, the subsidiary of Global Garden Products the manufacturer of Stiga, Mountfiled, Atco, Alpina and Castelgarden lawnmowers.

Our Managing Editor was informed of this handy little web site that will help you with all your lawn mower needs.  It's really helpful!

The Lawn Mower Dealer Search offers you access to a database of over 270 UK authorised lawn mower retailers and dealers offering sales and support for all the major lawn mower and garden equipment manufacturers. It was set up by GGP UK Ltd, the subsidiary of Global Garden Products the manufacturer of Stiga, Mountfiled, Atco, Alpina and Castelgarden lawnmowers.

January Lawn Care Tips

The prospect of heading out into your garden in January is not favoured by many.  With the end of the Christmas and New Year Holiday, we all get back into our stride and 'normal routines'.

The grass will not stop growing, merely slow down so do not be shy to get the lawn mower out to lightly trim the grass on a high setting if ground conditions permit.  Do not mow the lawn when it is frosty.

Your garden has probably been a bit neglected over the past month and now is the time to pop your bobble hat on and get outside to see what you can do to your garden and lawn to lift their spirit and most importantly visual appearance:

The prospect of heading out into your garden in January is not favoured by many.  With the end of the Christmas and New Year Holiday, we all get back into our stride and 'normal routines'.

The grass will not stop growing, merely slow down so do not be shy to get the lawn mower out to lightly trim the grass on a high setting if ground conditions permit.  Do not mow the lawn when it is frosty.

Your garden has probably been a bit neglected over the past month and now is the time to pop your bobble hat on and get outside to see what you can do to your garden and lawn to lift their spirit and most importantly visual appearance:

Ten Interesting Facts about Earthworms

Are Earthworms a Garden's Friend of Foe? That depends.  Here are 10 things you may want to know about earthworms:

1. Earthworms come in a seemly infinite variety—around 6,000 species worldwide.

One of the most familiar of them, the sort you may see in your garden, is commonly known as the night crawler (it typically surfaces after dark), the angleworm (its makes popular bait for fishing) or the rain worm (it leaves waterlogged soil after storms).

2. Of the more than 180 earthworm species found in the U.S. and Canada, 60 are invasive species, brought over from the Old World, including the night crawler.

3. Lacking lungs or other specialized respiratory organs, earthworms breathe through their skin.

Are Earthworms a Garden's Friend of Foe? That depends.  Here are 10 things you may want to know about earthworms:

1. Earthworms come in a seemly infinite variety—around 6,000 species worldwide.

One of the most familiar of them, the sort you may see in your garden, is commonly known as the night crawler (it typically surfaces after dark), the angleworm (its makes popular bait for fishing) or the rain worm (it leaves waterlogged soil after storms).

2. Of the more than 180 earthworm species found in the U.S. and Canada, 60 are invasive species, brought over from the Old World, including the night crawler.

3. Lacking lungs or other specialized respiratory organs, earthworms breathe through their skin.

Controlling Japanese Knotweed in your garden

When you are involved with weed control, you will always get asked about a wide range of weeds that can appear in a garden, even though your specialist knowledge is really lawn weeds.

Being the helpful sort, we like to keep you up to date with all weed related matters and this technical post is about controlling Japanese Knotweed and provides some up to date news about this invasive weed.

The majority of homeowners instantly panic about JNW.  It is truly not hard to kill if you use a professional and licensed treatment company and don't be lured into expensive eradication concepts and programmes.  The initial treatment will mostly control it and the second treatment can pick up on any regrowth the next year or after six months after the first treatment.  The more you have, the more complicated eradication may become but small clumps are easily and quickly dealt with.

When you are involved with weed control, you will always get asked about a wide range of weeds that can appear in a garden, even though your specialist knowledge is really lawn weeds.

Being the helpful sort, we like to keep you up to date with all weed related matters and this technical post is about controlling Japanese Knotweed and provides some up to date news about this invasive weed.

The majority of homeowners instantly panic about JNW.  It is truly not hard to kill if you use a professional and licensed treatment company and don't be lured into expensive eradication concepts and programmes.  The initial treatment will mostly control it and the second treatment can pick up on any regrowth the next year or after six months after the first treatment.  The more you have, the more complicated eradication may become but small clumps are easily and quickly dealt with.

Happy New Year to all our Readers

The Grass Clippings Team would like to wish all our Readers a happy and healthy 2019.

With over 1,325 technical articles here on our Lawn Blog, you are never more than a simple search away from a useful and technically correct article about caring for your lawn in the coming year.

The weather in the South of the UK is still rather mild and the grass is still growing albeit it slowly which is not bad for the start of January!  Don't be shy to run the mower over the lawns if ground conditions permit over the next week or two as trimming the lawn will really lift the garden.

The Grass Clippings Team would like to wish all our Readers a happy and healthy 2019.

With over 1,325 technical articles here on our Lawn Blog, you are never more than a simple search away from a useful and technically correct article about caring for your lawn in the coming year.

The weather in the South of the UK is still rather mild and the grass is still growing albeit it slowly which is not bad for the start of January!  Don't be shy to run the mower over the lawns if ground conditions permit over the next week or two as trimming the lawn will really lift the garden.