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Tuesday 4 May 2021

The Lawncare Guide - May

We beat weeds into submission

April was, for many places, exceptionally dry, so mowing will need to be done as dictated by the grass growth. If your lawn hasn’t put on much of a spurt, you won’t need to lower the cutting height on your garden tractor or mower just yet. Besides, grass should be mown a little at a time and by aiming to remove a third of the available leaf when you mow you allow the grass time to recover from the cut. 

The leaf is important to the grass plant because it is where photosynthesis takes place. This allows the grass to turn water into food for growth. By taking away more than one third of the leaf can leave the grass susceptible to disease and allow weed and undesirable grasses into the lawn. Remembering as well, grass comprises 85% water and removing too much grass also removes water. 

A thick growth of good, healthy grass will act as protection from weed invasion and taking care to seed bare patches and overseed thinning areas will help promote this. Feeding the lawn will stimulate grass growth to fill spaces where weeds can germinate and ward off weed encroachment, while continuing to aerate will help provide good drainage and keep oxygen reaching to roots. 

Leaving the grass a little longer helps it through drier spells, creating a barrier against sun and wind, trapping dew at night and generally keeping the soil cooler. Giving the lawn a controlled watering in prolonged dry spells will help minimise weed growth when the rains return.






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