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Thatch is a build-up of dead bits of grass on the surface of the soil beneath
the lawn and is quite natural in lawns that are getting old. The thatch prevents
rain from soaking down to the grass roots and keeps moisture at the soil
surface, encouraging moss. The thatch will build up faster if you don't use a
grass box on your mower. Rake it out regularly during Autumn as part of a
regular
lawn-care programme.
Compaction also occurs on older lawns and
is caused by standing garden furniture
on it, or running heavy barrows over it or even just standing on it during wet
weather. All this activity squashes the lawn down and plant roots find it harder
to push through the hard ground.
Spiking the soil with a fork alleviates
compaction and, by making some airways, helps the grass grow. Again it's a job
that's best done in autumn. On clay soil follow the spiking by brushing gritty
sand into the vertical drainage channels (about a bucketful per square metre),
this makes it firmer to walk on, yet better drained in wet conditions.
The
rosette-forming, or broad-leaved, weeds, such as daisies, plantains and
dandelions are easy to eradicate with selective lawn weed killers. You can
either spot-treat individual weeds with a ready-to-use product or you can
sprinkle a combined weed-and-feed treatment over the whole lawn. For
small-leaved weeds you'll need a liquid weed killer that is specially designed
for this type of weed. Dilute it and water it on with a can. Dead weeds leave
bald patches in the lawn that are quickly colonized by weed seeds and moss, so
it is a good idea to feed at the same time as weeding; if the grass is growing
well, there will be no room for weeds.
Use
lawn weed killers in late spring when weeds are growing fast, but before they
start flowering. By the time they flower, weeds will have become too tough to
respond well to treatment. Apply liquid lawn weed killer on a dry day, so that
it has at least 12 to 24 hours to be taken in through the leaves. If it's washed
away too soon, it won't have a chance to work. If you use a granular
weed-and-feed treatment turn on the sprinkler, if it hasn't rained after 48
hours, to make sure that the treatment is effective.
Moss
will continue to return if your lawn is in a damp, shady place. Try to let in
more light and improve the drainage. The cheapest, simplest method of
controlling moss is to rake it out, it is hard work so you may want to invest in
a powered lawnraker or hire one. An easier solution is to buy liquid lawn moss killer, or
products that combine moss killer with lawn feed. You need to feed the lawn, so
that it thickens up and fills gaps where moss has been, to stop weeds coming in.
Apply in spring.
Lawn
sand is an effective preparation that acts as a fertilizer, weed killer and moss
killer, but it can scorch the lawn if applied too heavily. Buy it ready-made or
make it up yourself from 4 parts (by weight) sulphate of ammonia: 1 part
sulphate of iron: and 20 parts fine silver sand. Apply, at the rate of 115g per
1sq.m (4oz per sq. yd), when dry during spring and early summer, but make sure
the soil is moist.
Once
the moss turns black it is dead and can be raked out.
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