Having a garden you can be proud of may seem like a far-fetched idea to some.

After long periods of abandonment, when you look outside and see patchy, discoloured and dry grass – or a lack of grass at all – it’s easy to give up hope on the whole idea of having a beautiful garden this summer.

 

It’s a common misconception that turning this:

Into this:

 

Is near impossible to achieve in a short amount of time. But it isn’t. All the problems you find in your garden can be fixed relatively quickly and easily! Try these and see a difference in your lawn in just a few weeks:

 

Yellow Tips on Grass

 

This tends to happen when the blades on your lawn mower become dull, causing them to tear the grass rather than cut it.  Fitting new lawn mower blades will correct this problem, they are easily fitted and relatively cheap. Make sure to get the correct blades for your specific mower.

 

Thin Patches

 

This kind of uneven growth can occur in areas where sunlight is limited – shady parts of the garden. Pruning trees to allow more sunlight through can help in this situation which will enable the grass to grow more evenly.

 

Aeration can also help enormously with healthy lawn growth.  This can be achieved by a specialist machine, scarifying or a more simple hand tool. The process improves drainage and infiltration of water encouraging new and deeper root growth and overall creates a more healthy soil and ultimately much healthier and beautiful grass.

 

 

Large Dry Patches

 

Large, dry patches tend to occur where there is frequent heavy foot traffic on a specific section of the lawn, causing the soil to compact. Aeration again will help in these circumstances. Dry patches can also be caused by insufficient rainfall, implementing a sprinkler system and keeping it in check can help to relieve these problems. Make sure the water is reaching all parts of the lawn to avoid areas drying out.

 

 

Brown, Dying and Spreading

 

If you’ve noticed you have dead patches in your lawn that appear to be getting bigger or spreading, it is possible that you may have an infestation of insects, for example Chafer grubs or Leatherjacket Larvae (Daddy long legs). These pests feed on the grass roots and cause the leaves to die and go brown. Pest control is available at Abrey’s.

 

 

Moss

 

This may be caused by a variety of reasons, from very dry soil to moisture retention.  Shady areas, due to trees and hedges, compaction and seasonal influences. Subsoil drainage can be improved by aeration, scarifying and applying sharp sand will help together with chemical control.  Scarification of the moss will need to be done regularly to get the problem under control.

 

 

 

Tags: Abrey, Abrey Agricultural, Cambridgeshire, Garden Care, Gardening, Lawn Care, Pamphillions Farm, Saffron Walden, Summer, Summer Garden