General Advice - George Davies Turf

Turf Care

Here at George Davies Turf, we pride ourselves on providing the best after-care service we can possibly provide. So, this is why we’ve created this quite extensive list on intricate methods and techniques you can apply to keep your turf looking and feeling brand new. Even if your lawn isn’t brand new, and you’re looking for prudent ways to maintain and look after it – this list is for you also.

One of the key things to remember with your new lawn is that it’s a collective of live plants that will need the right balance of water, sunlight and food to nurture and essentially survive. However, if you follow the points as listed out below, this should set you on your way so your lawn can thrive in its new environment. For any further advice on lawn maintenance or general questions on its upkeep, give us a call to discuss – 01234 714 555 or 01727 821 765.

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Aerating

Feeding & Watering

Moss

Mowing/Rolling

Scarifying

Weeding

AERATING

When aerating, we'd always suggest to use a garden fork or some kind of spiking tool. This allows more air to reach the roots of the grass, which promotes healthy growth.
Make sure the holes that you dig are at least 3" deep - the deeper the better.
Autumn is the usual time for the aerating process.

FEEDING

The richer the soil, the better the lawn growth. Poorer quality soil will require more feeding of the lawn.
We'd recommend to feed the lawn each spring and, if necessary, through to the summer also with a proprietary lawn fertilizer. A phased slow-released fertilizer, as suggested, will gradually release the essential nutrients needed to produce and maintain the heightened green colour for months to come.
If you need to feed the lawn after August - we'd suggest to use a proprietary autumn lawn fertilizer at the recommended rate.
Keep in mind not to feed your lawn between October and March until frost-free conditions emerge.

WATERING

On more established lawns, watering is only necessary if you need to maintain a greener colour. The more established turf will not be ruinied if you do not water it, unless your lawn is on thin or sandy soil.
If you're looking to water the lawn, we'd reccomend to water it when needed and deeply. Water the soil until it is moist to a depth of 6". If the water runs off the surface before this depth is achieved, turn off the hosepipe or water another part of the garden before resuming again. Water again when the soil dries out to this depth.
A light shower of rain may not completely soak through and may have to be added too by watering excess.

MOSS

Moss may develop in a lawn if it has become too weak. And there are many reasons for the weakening of lawn which may be waterlogging, compacted soil, mowing too close or too frequently, inadequate feeding or very dry conditions.
For the short term, controlled chemical treatments are available, but moss will reappear if the grass is not completely invigorated.
Moss may not be as destructive as weed, so act in accordance to your preference.

MOWING

Make sure to mow the lawn on a regular basis - and as often as necessary to maintain a superior appearance. And remember, the closer the cut, the more frequently you should mow.
Another tip to keep in mind is that the mower setting for most lawns should be set to cut no lower than 1/2". And our advice would be to mow the lawn at least once a week, depending on the growth. Try to avoid leaving the lawn unmown for long periods, especially when the grass is growing fast.
In terms of reducing the height of the freshly cut lawn, try to never never remove more than 25% of the length of the grass. In our experience, a cylinder mower will give a fine result - under the provision it is kept in great working condition and the blades are set to cut the grass effectively.
When considering the mowing conditions, we'd recommend that Its best to mow the lawn when the conditions are dry. However during extended wetter weather conditions, mow the lawn when it is wet rather than let the grass grow too tall.
And you can certainly mow in winter - but only if mild periods have encouraged growth.

ROLLING

Rolling isn't necessary on most soils.
A roller should not be used to correct surface irregularities - possibly caused by subsidence. These should ideally be corrected using compost top dressing.

SCARIFYING

Remember that the removal of the brown fibrous "thatch" layer - which develops between the soil and the grass shoots is not always necessary.
Scarifying can be beneficial to a lawn if the correct procedures are done correctly. It can also be very harmful should you over scarify.
Some specific types of turf need less scarifying than others.
You can always engage in some light raking by hand... which can be worthwhile from time to time in the mowing season.

WEEDING

When it comes to lawns, there's no question that weeds appear from time to time in the new lawn - if not removed when seen, these can spread further afield.
The very best way to weed is mechanical; good old fashioned pulling up the weeds using elbow grease.
Other options such as weed sprays can also be used for spot treatment of weeds.
We'd suggest to always purchase a proprietary brand of weedkiller and follow the instructions carefully.
If you use a weed and feed type product, always check the instuctions in case there are any special recommendations for freshly laid turf.
Any patches created by either mechanical or chemical weeding can be repaired using our Seednova grass seed mixed with a light lawn dressing.

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