Lawns can lose their lustre due to things like heavy use, drought or neglect. Sometimes, your lawn can look as though it is beyond help, but there are steps you can take to restore its previous glory.
The best time to start lawn restoration is early spring or autumn when you have moist soil and cool weather. Autumn is the most ideal as grass plants are most likely to produce shoots and form into clumps – in spring, their energy is more focused on growing leaves.
Redblade Mowers are experts in everything to do with gardens and garden machinery in West Lancashire. Here is our guide to rejuvenating garden grass.
1. Scarify the lawn
This means you must rake it down with a rigid, wire-tined lawn rake. A mechanical scarifier also does a fantastic job. The idea is to scrape through the grass plants to drag out thatch and moss. ‘Thatch’ means partially dead horizontal grass shoots that accumulate on the surface of the soil. They need to go because they resist water and keep it from reaching the grassroots, competing with the growing grass.
2. Aerate the lawn
All activity on the lawn causes the soil to be compacted. This is particularly true on heavier, clay soils made up of tiny particles that stick together. When the ground is moist, aerate it by spiking it with a garden fork to a depth of 10-15cm at frequent intervals. A lawn aerating tool is also great for this.
You can apply a lawn dressing after spiking. Once the granules are applied, use a plastic lawn rake to move them into the holes.
3. Feed the lawn
You will need lawn fertiliser with a high quantity of potash. This will harness garden growth that has stalled. Your grass needs some slow-release nitrogen to see it through the winter. There are various organic fertilisers that offer long-lasting results without damaging the grass in any way.
Some of these fertilisers are fortified with thatch remover, which will help break down any remaining thatch with micro-organisms and stimulants. This will complement the organic nutrient delivery to encourage maximum growth of your garden grass.
4. Maintenance
Keep the lawnmower out through the winter and keep mowing regularly to maintain a healthy lawn space. A rotary mower will break up leaves as they fall. For milder winters, focus on light mowing that doesn’t shorten the grass too much – longer grass will be stronger, and you can shorten it again once spring arrives.
