Lawn Care and Maintenance

In full season, through spring and early summer, usually once a week; in the dry part of summer, every ten to fifteen days, as the grass grows more slowly. Follow the one-third rule — never take off more than a third of the leaf height at once, because cutting too short weakens the roots and lets weeds in. Under regular maintenance we match mowing to how the grass is actually growing rather than to the calendar.

In summer the grass should be kept longer than in spring — a longer leaf shades the soil, slows evaporation and protects the roots from overheating. Through July and August we raise the cutting height to six to eight centimetres, whereas four to five centimetres is the spring and autumn height. A lawn cut too short in the summer months is the first to yellow and the quickest to thin out, so as a rule we also leave the finely chopped clippings as mulch, except when the lawn is wet or there are signs of disease.

The basic rhythm is a feed in early spring, as the grass starts into growth, then again through the season, and an autumn feeding weighted towards potassium, which strengthens the roots and prepares the lawn for winter. The type of fertiliser is chosen according to the state of the lawn — a pale green colour and weak growth say one thing, moss and compacted soil something else entirely. Under seasonal maintenance contracts feeding goes hand in hand with aeration and monitoring, so the plan is adjusted as the year goes on.

Moss is usually the symptom rather than the cause — it appears where the soil is compacted, where water sits, where there is too much shade, or where the lawn has been cut too short for a long time. The remedy starts with aeration and removing the thatch, then feeding and overseeding, along with putting right whatever caused the problem. On site we first assess the condition of the lawn and only then draw up a care plan, because the same symptom in two gardens often has a different cause.