The weather has an autumnal feel to it now with cool mornings and heavy dews. And as those day and nighttime temperatures fall, so will the soil temperatures; so, if you haven’t started your autumn renovations, I would before it’s too late. The milder temperatures will help with germination.
· Scarification is necessary as thatch (the build-up of excess organic matter on the surface of the soil) will hold water on the surface like a sponge, encouraging the proliferation of moss and reducing the need for the grass to develop a deep root base. This makes the grass plant less tolerant of dry weather as the roots cannot find moisture. Thatch can also harbour turf diseases such Fusarium.
Aerate the lawn with either solid or hollow tines. The alleviation of compaction in the surface will allow the movement of both air and water though the top layer of the turf. This helps with drainage and therefore helping to prevent moss and encourages root development. When hollow tinning, the cores will have to be removed; these can either be disposed of or recycled as a dressing for the spring or next autumn.
Re-seed the lawn, not only where the grass is thin or patchy, but also as a way of adding newer more vigorous grasses into the sward.
Top dress the lawn with a soil/sand mix to cover the recently applied seed and to remove dips and hollows from the lawn. Once applied, use the back of a garden rake to level off the dressing. Do not bury the grass, always ensure that it is showing through the top dressing otherwise you can ‘suffocate’ and kill the grass beneath it.
Raise the height of cut after renovations to 30-40mm; any lower and you encourage the build-up of moss within the lawn. The less light that can get to base of the sward the less moss spores that are able to germinate.
Fertilise the lawn with an autumn/winter fertiliser; these are usually low in Nitrogen but have a higher amount of Phosphate and Potash than summer feeds. These latter two nutrients help with root development and strengthen the plant cell walls, therefore allowing the turf to go into winter stronger and healthier. It would be a good idea to apply iron to your lawn to help it get through the winter.
This is also the time that trees shed their leaves, so leaf collection should be done at regular intervals. If leaf litter is left on the lawn, it can kill the grass beneath it. You can use your scarifier or brush cartridge to pick up leaves.
Continue to trim lawn edges as and when required to keep them looking neat and tidy.
