Topical Lawn Tip "Scarify Time" Wednesday
29th October 08
Annual
scarification is absolutely necessary if you want a great lawn.
In autumn we scarify the lawns to remove thatch and debris that
has accumulated during the mowing season.
This
thatch build up will be choking the grass and making it difficult
for the base of the sward to ventilate therefore allowing it to
stay damp through the winter, an ideal environment for moss.
It’s
a common misconception that we scarify to get the moss out, yes
we do get a lot of moss out when we scarify but it’s nearly impossible
to get all the moss out of a lawn.
A
lawn will look a bit sorry for itself for a couple of weeks after
we scarify it, but they do recover and look all the better for
it next season.
Over
Seeding
When
we scarify it’s a great opportunity to over seed a lawn, because
there is a greater chance of germination due to soil/seed contact.
Of
course not every seed germinates, but generally by applying new
seed every year we are gradually replacing the old stock grasses
and keeping ahead of the wind blown poa
annua that arrive in the swarth.
New
grass has exceptional vitality and will help make the lawn lusher
and greener.
Topical
Lawn Tip "Leather Jackets" Thursday 11th
September 08
Leather
Jackets are starting to appear in droves, you will notice them
when you are mowing the lawn this weekend.
You
will also notice them on painted walls of the house.
What
you’ll see are “Daddy Long Legs” or Crane fly. Just because you
have a lot of them doesn’t mean that you have an infestation,
but it could be building up trouble for next spring. (Pictures
to follow, when it stops raining.)
Topical
Lawn Tip "Red Thread" Friday 15th August
08
Red
Thread has come back to our lawns yet again this year see article
in Daily Telegraph yesterday:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/08/13/eagrass213.xml
Trinity
Lawns guide to "red thread"
For
the past three weeks brown patches have been
forming on lawns through out the area. These have been cause by
red thread fungus.
The
picture above shows a typical red thread patch.
Sometimes
you can actually see the fungus, which is usually a coral coloured
blob on some yellowed off grass. The classic form which forms
spiky antlers on the blade of the grass is sometimes seen, but
not always.
Now
you have it, what are you going to do about it?
I
suggest unless it’s on the greens of a champion golf course, don’t
worry about it. Its not going to cause any lasting damage and
it will grow out and get mowed away.
Show
it to your friends and wonder at the marvels of nature.
What
causes it? Well I’ve been in the laws business for years
and I’ve heard all sorts of reasons. Some people say its lack
of nitrogen, this I believe is nonsense. I would say that the
pathogens are present all the time in the soil and it only needs
the conditions to kick them off.
Earlier
we have escaped quite lightly with hardly any attacks in the spring,
but in June and again now we are seeing it again on lawns.
The
conditions are mild and wet, so it has been humid. This I believe
is the ideal conditions to kick it off.
What
would the professionals do about it? Well the green would
have been treated well before now on a regular basis with a systemic
fungicide. So it’s like taking out an insurance policy, but it
could still happen anyway. Last resort is to use a contact fungicide
and try to grow it out as quickly as possible with copious amounts
of feed and watering.
So
best just to put up with it or we can put down a cocktail of fungicides,
contact & systemic along with some other lawn tonics. But
we have to charge for it. The minimum treatment cost would be
£50.
Topical
Lawn Tip "Lawn Brown Out" Monday 7th July
08
Whats
happened to my lawn in the last week?
It's
turned brown while I went on a weeks holiday!
The picture
above shows a very typical problem that is occurring just this
week. Areas of the lawn actually look as though they are dying.
Patches of grass have turned from a beautiful green colour to
straw.
The particularly
dry area on this lawn shows that there are still remains of an
old path buried below it. Also it is being affected by the roots
of a plum tree just out to the left.
This is
absolutely natural behaviour and with a bit of rain just as we
are receiving right now all should be well quite soon.
Its grasses
natural defence mechanism to turn straw like during dry hot spells.
Will fertilizer
help? Not until we get some rain, but it’s better to have it already
on the ground so the rain washes it in rather than putting it
down afterwards. But make sure it’s one of the non scorch controlled
release types which are available. And you don’t need much or
you will turn it into a grass factory as soon as the rains arrive.
Topical
Weeds
Weed of
the month
Convulvus
or Bindweed
This is
a big problem in the flower beds but no problem in the lawns.
Get us to give it a spray of the right stuff and let it work down
to the roots. Don’t use Glyphosphate (Roundup)
on lawns, only use a selective gentle weed killer.
Topical
Lawn Tip "Red Thread" Thursday 12th June
08
All
you need to know about "red thread"
For
the past three weeks brown patches have been
forming on lawns through out the area. These have been cause by
red thread fungus.
The
picture above shows a typical red thread patch.
Sometimes
you can actually see the fungus, which is usually a coral coloured
blob on some yellowed off grass. The classic form which forms
spiky antlers on the blade of the grass is sometimes seen, but
not always.
Now
you have it, what are you going to do about it?
I
suggest unless it’s on the greens of a champion golf course, don’t
worry about it. Its not going to cause any lasting damage and
it will grow out and get mowed away.
Show
it to your friends and wonder at the marvels of nature.
What
causes it? Well I’ve been in the laws business for years
and I’ve heard all sorts of reasons. Some people say its lack
of nitrogen, this I believe is nonsense. I would say that the
pathogens are present all the time in the soil and it only needs
the conditions to kick them off.
We
have escaped quite lightly with it this year and I didn’t notice
it on lawns till just three weeks ago (halfway through May) the
conditions are very mild and wet, so it has been humid. This I
believe is the ideal conditions to kick it off.
What
would the professionals do about it? Well the green would
have been treated well before now on a regular basis with a systemic
fungicide. So it’s like taking out an insurance policy, but it
could still happen anyway. Last resort is to use a contact fungicide
and try to grow it out as quickly as possible with copious amounts
of feed and watering.
So
best just to put up with it.
Lawn
Tips on how to have a great lawn
Feel
proud of your lawn
When
I get up in the morning and pull the curtains open, I feel a rush
of pride as I look out at the lawn and see how well it’s growing
and how green it is. I find it hard to put into words this feel
good factor that sets me up for the day. Would you believe I actually
love mowing the lawn now?
What’s
the best mower to use?
My favourite machine
is a Honda 21 inch Pro, it may not be the best
mower to use but for me it’s certainly the easiest. I just bought
a "new" one last week, when I say its new, its actually
a 1992 model in perfect condition so it was well worth the £200
I paid.
Other
excellent mowers of this type are:
Lawnflite
Sarp
Asuka DR021
These are all professional
rotary mowers, they do cost a lot more than the domestic equivalent,
but you get what you pay for. You should be looking ones that
have a “rotor stop” mechanism, this means that you can empty the
bag without stopping the engine. These ones all use a Honda engines
of about 5.5hp.
I don’t like the idea of
ones that have the recoil starter attached up on the handle rather
than right on the engine.
Rear
Roller or just wheels?
This
depends on weather your lawn has a lot of beds in it with a lot
of edges you have to be careful of. If you have a lot of edges
then the rear roller is going to allow you to cut over the edge
if you’re careful, but the wheel version is a bit lighter and
more versatile if you have to do the long grass on occasions.
Why
do I like this machine?
Well we bought one in 1982 and it only clapped out a couple of
years ago. It still cuts well but you have to push it as the gear
box has expired.
The
best mowers for cutting fine lawns
are undoubtedly cylinder mowers and to box the grass off, but
they take a great deal more maintenance and they probably cut
too close for most of us.
Tidy the Lawn.
Raking the lawn is
not just good for the lawn it’s a great way to work out.
Get one of those rakes with the wide plastic tines, if it has
a wooden handle all the better.
Make sure all the leaves
are cleared up now, especially in those damps corners. Wet leaves
will kill the grass beneath if left to rot on the lawn.
As you rake a lawn
it is important to change arms and use the rake on the other side.
I know this comes a little harder, but it is essential that you
get used to raking from both sides if you are not going to cause
injury or back strain. Don’t over do it, or force anything.
If you persevere you will soon become an ambidextrous raker and
get quite fit in the process.
If the lawn is dry
there is nothing wrong with mowing it, as long as you only “top
off” the grass, this will smarten up the whole garden.
Mowing Tips.
Try your
best to change direction when you mow.
Why?
This for two reasons, the wheels of the mower compact the soil
in the same place causing a washboard effect in the lawn that
makes the grass in between grow shorter, this is why some lawns
some lawn have the moss only in stripes between the wheel marks.
The second reason is that if grass is always cut in the same direction,
it will eventually only be pushed over, this in turn allows the
creeping grass species just to put out long runners.
Do not
cut the grass too short.
Why?
Because it’s a plant that needs it’s leafs if it’s
going to stay healthy. It’s such a common mistake to think,
“I’ll cut the grass extra short this week, so I can
leave it next week.” This just doesn’t work, if your
going on holidays, just leave it till you get back and just cut
the top off it first. As a rough guide never remove one third
of the length of the grass in one session.
Cut the
grass at regularly.
Why?
It’s a routine that’s essential if you want a great
lawn, but traffic on a lawn is important to keep moss at bay.
Don’t
Scalp the edges.
Why?
Well this one is obvious but we are asked so often why moss has
started up on the edge of a lawn and it’s nearly always
because the mower has gone off the edge and scalped the lawn.
What sort
of mower should be used?
Answer
There is no doubt that when a lawn is mowed with a cylinder mower
rather than a rotary mower the results are not only looks better
but the whole turf is better maintained.
Why?
This is because the grass is sheared and cut properly rather than
just hit very hard by a blade. The tip of the grass is cut neatly
and there is less likelihood of fungus or diseases. There is usually
a light roller at the back of cylinder mowers which is gently
firming up the soil and this action helps prevent moss.
But!
This is all very well, but over 90% of people use the rotary type
mower, that because it’s easier to use, cheaper to buy and
requires much less maintenance plus it can usually handle a bit
of rough grass treatment and the odd stone. So although it may
not be the best, as long as the blade is kept sharp it is probably
the best solution.
What about
mulching mowers?
Answer
As far as we are concerned the jury is still out on mulching mowers.
We are firm believers in “Boxing off” the cuttings,
and putting them on the compost heap. If you do use a mulching
mower system, you must use it very regularly, and be prepared
to scarify the lawn out every year. (A good idea anyway)
Having said this, here
in Royston and I’m sure nearly everywhere else the council’s
contractors do a great job of keeping the verges in very good
order just by regular mowing with hydraulic triple mowers, which
are cylinder mowers that don’t collect the clippings.
Visit Anglesey
Abbey Garden
Even if you have been
before, the winter walk never fails to delight and well worth
a visit especially at this time of year.
Wednesday through Sundays,
only 6 miles North East of Cambridge at Lode, signposted from
the A14. http://www.angleseyabbey.org/gardens/snowdrops/index.htmlIf
your quick you will just catch the snow drops.
More Snowdrops at Benington
http://www.greatbritishgardens.co.uk/benington_lordship.htm
If you visit Benington, its also a good excuse to have lunch
in the Bell !
http://www.bellbenington.co.uk/web/index.htm
Debby's Garden Links
http://www.debbysgardenlinks.co.uk/
Directory of categorised links to UK gardening related websites.
________________________________________________________________________________
Please
excuse this very wordy explanation, its so Google can find us!
Where
we operate lawn treatment is in Cambridge, Royston, Buntingford,
Bishops Stortford, Ware, Hertford, Knebworth, Stveneage, Hitchin,
Letchworth, Baldock, Biggleswade, Sandy, Saffron Waldon, Hertfordshire,
Cambridgeshire, Cambs, Bedfordshire, Essex, Suffolk
So
we can treat your lawn if your telephone area code is
01223,
01763, 01462, 01799, 01279, 01767, 01920, 01992, 01438
or
we can make lawn treatments in postcodes SG, CB, CM
What
we do for lawns is Fertilize (fertilizer) them or if you prefer
fertilise (fertiliser) them, we kill weeds, or weed kill, or weed
control. We can control moss, we can deal with lawn fungus problems
such as Red Thread, Fusarium, we can do a pretty good job on fairy
ring as well. We also scarify lawns and aerate them plus we aerate
them by either hollow tine aeration or spiking and very often slitting.
We deal with thatch and brown patches in lawns. We are very good
at wetting agents, chaffer grub, leather jackets ants in lawns.
Another string to our bow is wild flower meadow, a more eco friendly
way of not having a lawn.
Lawn
Problems, brown patches in lawns, wetting agents.
PESTs
in
lawns, Ants in lawns, Chafer grubs and Leather Jackets (daddy long
legs).
Lawn
Fungal problems
Red
Thread, Fusarium, thatch fungus, Fairy Ring Control.
Is
the Lawn dying? All about lawn seed. |
