Isle Landscapers Limited

Weeds can be easily overlooked if they aren't fully developed, which is why they pose such a serious threat to your garden. Weeds like broadleaf plantains and dandelions that have wide and flat leaves can smother your lawn and inhibit grass growth. Their wide and flat leaves can smother your lawn and inhibit grass growth.

Annual, Biennial, and Perennial, are the three main types of weeds. Annual weeds live for one year by germinating and spreading by seeds. Examples of annual weeds include Lambsquarters and Chickweed. Biennial weeds have an average lifespan of two years. 

They germinate and form rosettes in their first year. In their second year, weeds like Bull Thistles and Garlic Mustard produce seeds and flowers. Perennials return every year by producing seeds and long roots. Examples of perennial weeds include Purple Loosestrifes and Plantains, which are the most difficult to control.

Buttercups, Clover, and Yellow Medicks, are known for spreading quickly throughout a lawn but are easily removed using daisy grubbers, hand trowels, or raking before mowing. 

We recommend that you avoid using weedkillers to both save money and keep your lawn safe from dangerous chemicals to be kid and pet friendly. If you require a weedkiller, try using a homemade remedy first using boiling water, lemon juice, salt water, or baking soda and vinegar.

Another form of natural weed control consists of permitting certain weeds to grow if you like their scent or appearance. 

If you are looking to grow a wildflower garden, keeping the following weeds may help achieve this theme: Joe-Pye weeds flourish in vanilla-scented and rose-coloured flower clusters, the Chicory weed boasts beautiful blue flowers, Hawkweed has daisy-looking flowers with fuzzy stems, and Queen Anne's Lace is composed of white, lacy flowers shaped like umbrellas.

Thatch is organic matter consisting of dead grass, leaves, and stems. It can build up between grass and soil, which, when overlooked, can block and prevent nutrients and moisture from reaching the grassroots. Use a rake to remove this mulch from the lawn for it to thrive again.

A build-up of autumn leaves can smother the lawn and prevent growth. Ensure that you rake leaves once they fall in autumn to encourage healthy growth. Additionally, raking can loosen matted grass clumps caused by snow, mud, or mould.

Moss can pose a threat to lawns in the same way as thatch and weeds, as it thrives among low-quality turf, in the shade, and where there is excess moisture. These non-flowering plants can hinder grass if they develop in the clay within the soil, in poor drainage, drought, and thatch.

Moss usually forms in drains and gutters, which birds may then uproot in search of food. Uprooted moss may re-root in your lawn. In this case, looking after gutters and drains is just as important when tending to your lawn.

Poor drainage complicates the health of your lawn. It is paramount to prevent waterlogging as it can last for whole days at a time. Common causes for a build-up of water include having compact soil, clay, layers of thatch, too many roots, and rocks in the soil.

Aerating your lawn and having permeable soil improves the flow of water and air that allows grass to thrive. You can aerate grass by pushing a garden fork about 10cm into the soil and repeating this process every 10cm. 

After that, gently rock your fork back and forth which lifts any compacted grass and allows roots to breathe. Alternatively, you can brush sand or grit into holes in clay soil to avoid repeating this process to improve drainage. You can focus on small areas if necessary to recover waterlogged patches.

Consider the topography of your garden. Creating a level but shallow slope that can direct water away from your home and garden will prevent waterlogging. If there are dips in your garden, this is where water will pool, create short roots, suffocate the grass, and ultimately damage your lawn.

Regularly giving food to your grass keeps it healthy, and it is typically spring and midsummer when your lawns need feeding. Experts recommend using a nitrogen-rich lawn feed during springtime and phosphate and potassium-rich fertiliser in autumn time.

We recommend applying fertiliser to your lawn when rain is forecasted or by washing the fertiliser down with a watering can or hose. This is because water takes the fertiliser down to the soil and the roots and prevents it from burning leaf blades.

If you have quite a large lawn, perhaps investing in a wheeled feeder would be helpful in evenly tending to your garden.

If you cover the entirety of your lawn with a large mix of fertiliser and seeds, you can rejuvenate any damaged, thinned, tired, and worn-out areas. Improving the colour and health of your outdoor space will make you want to get out more often. 

Over-seeding also greatly lessens the risk of weed invasion and moss spreading.

You should consider edging your lawn using a pair of shears. Defining the edges prevents grass from growing over walkways or into flower beds. 

If you struggle to maintain a large lawn, you may wish to use a spade to create permanent moats or gaps between borders so that grass cannot cross it. 

Be sure to mow your lawn regularly, ensuring that your lawnmower's blades are kept sharp and your engine well-fuelled. If you find that mowing creates a white or brown hue to your lawn, you should stop and sharpen your lawnmower blades. If your lawnmower has blunt blades, you rip apart the grass blades and encourage pests to enter the tears.

In the summertime, we recommend that you cut your lawn once a week and cut at a height of 5 to 10cm so that your grass is taller than in other seasons. Regularly mowing at this height in summer encourages grassroots to spread, preventing weeds from growing and filling in any empty gaps you have in your soil.

We recommend cutting your lawn semi-weekly during autumn and spring. However, cutting the grass during the winter months is not recommended, as the combination of muddy soil and wet grass cause lawnmower blades to cut evenly and thus damage the grassroots.

Having a capable lawnmower is a foundational reason that your lawn will be well tended to. First, you should consider your property and the size of its lawn; this will dictate what make and size lawnmower to buy. 

For example, a walk-behind mower is fine for a small lawn, but if you have acres of land, the efficient option would be to purchase a riding one. Another thing to consider is the thickness of grass you have on your lawn; thick grass requires a higher horsepower lawnmower.

A good gardener knows how to use a lawnmower, and a great one knows when to use it. When the grass is dry, that is the perfect time to mow, as you avoid having a wet-grass-clogged mower deck. Removing any grass clumps after mowing a section or strip will help you achieve an evenly cut lawn while letting your newly cut grass breathe. 

Mowing in the shade and not during noon when the sun is at its warmest means that your grass loses less water and recovers faster.

We advise that you always water young grass and warn against overwatering as this leads to shallow roots and poor growth. We strongly suggest not using hoses or sprinklers to hydrate grass if you have a small lawn, as they are not permitted during a hosepipe ban and use a lot of water that may not be needed.

If the grass remains flat when you have walked over it or changes colour, it's a sign that it lacks water. Rain and the collected rainwater from water butts can revitalise a brown lawn efficiently.

You should rake soil before sowing grass seeds to repair any bare patches on your lawn. Alternatively, you can use filler from unused turf by collecting any leftover strips and growing them in a tray until the right size to plant. After placing turf, ensure that it is level with the grass and ground around it for even growth.