Residential Garden Maintenance

Why is mowing so important?

Mowing is the most important way of maintaining a lawn in good condition. The lawn needs to be mowed regularly and frequently without taking off too much at a time. This will encourage the grass to form a more dense cover and suppress weeds. A grass box should always be used otherwise clippings will collect at the soil surface and choke the grass. If the grass is not mowed regularly or is cut too low weeds and moss can take valuable nutrients from the lawn and compete with it for space and light. This will weaken the grass and put it under stress, which makes it more prone to pests, diseases and other problems such as drought.

When should the lawn be mown?

Mowing should take place all year round, but with only an occasional cut in Jan/Feb with the blades set high if the weather is mild and dry. A more regular mowing routine will normally begin in March, again with the blades set to just “top” the grass and leave about 30mm of growth. Light cutting will encourage the grass to tiller (produce extra shoots) and suppress weeds.

 Mowing should then continue with regular frequency right through until November. From this time an occasional ‘maintenance’ cut will be a real benefit.

What about lawn edges?

A thin strip of turf at the lawn edge should be cut back in spring, removing a thin strip of turf either with a half-moon edging tool or a powered machine for faster results.

 For the rest of the year shears or a nylon line cutter (‘strimmer’) should be used. This will keep the lawn edge neat and tidy and prevent the need to re-cut the edge so often. The lawn edge should be cut when the lawn is being cut to achieve best results.

Looking after the lawn Like any plant a lawn will flourish in direct proportion to the care it receives. Regular mowing is essential to the health of the lawn, but the removal of nutrients when clippings are collected means that some sort of feeding program should be used. This can be as a short-lived but quick working liquid feed or a longer acting granular application.

Liquid feed applied via hose or watering can is high in nitrogen and promotes a short term greening effect, but need to be repeated regularly. They can work well in dry spells as they rarely cause scorching.

Granular fertiliser formulations are more long acting and their nutrient content varies depending on time of year. More nitrogen is applied in spring to promote a green flush of growth, while a potassium rich mix in autumn strengthens the grass for winter. Fertilisers may also contain weed killers and moss killers for an extra benefit.

However care needs to be taken when applying the fertiliser – it should be applied when the grass is growing, when the soil is moist and when rain is due, ideally not more the 24 hours in advance. This is because it is very easy for fertiliser to scorch the grass if not washed in quickly. A spreader should be used to achieve accurate placement, for again overlapping can cause scorching.

Other tasks for looking after the lawn included scarifying in autumn to remove thatch and moss, and collecting leaves that have fallen. Leaves can slow grass growth, exclude air and encourage disease. Leaves also attract worms to the surface, leaving worm casts over the lawn. These need to be brushed away to prevent smothering of the lawn.