The Lawncare Guide - May

The green, green grass of home 

It has been pretty dry for a while in many areas, so leaving the grass cut a little higher will help it through drier spells. It creates a barrier against sun and wind. Otherwise you will probably be cutting at least once a week or as the grass growth dictates and gradually lowering the cutting height to the desired summer cut.

For those of you in areas where you have had more than a fair share of rain, and/or your subsoil is clay, you may have surface water remaining. You can remedy this with spiking and aerating. Wet and warmth also promotes moss and thatch and a combined weed, feed and moss killer will give the grass the help it needs. Feeding stimulates the grass growth to fill spaces where weeds might invade and ‘greens it up’. Seeding bare patches and overseeding thinning areas will add further protection. 

Usually, good management precludes the need to use weedkillers. Regular mowing at the right height and frequency plays an important part. Grass comprises 85% water and removing too much grass also removes water. Prolonged dry spells may call for watering the lawn, assuming there is no hosepipe ban, and this should be done in a controlled way, giving the grass a really good soaking once a week or so, rather than lightly hosing each day. That more or less replicates a good, long downpour and, combined with the warmth, promotes growth and a lush, green lawn.