LOOKING AFTER LAWNS

Pretty much EVERY SINGLE garden I work on in London has problems with its ‘lawn’, or more accurately, ‘the patchy area of moss, mud and weeds in the middle of the garden’. Some clients have tried to sort it out but lose heart because nothing seems to work. It never looks like those pictures in the magazines! Lawn care is a big subject, there are entire books and many websites devoted to it, but here are my tips on fixing the main problems and ongoing upkeep.

But first: REALITY CHECK !!!
A healthy, lush, weed free, moss free lawn requires A LOT OF WORK. If you aren’t going to cut it at least every two weeks from April to November, feed it and weed it regularly (or pay someone else to do it all for you), then let go of your fantasy of having a lovely green lawn like the ones you see in the magazines. Not going to happen. Sorry. Either learn to live with your patchy, mossy area or do something else with the space (such as cover it in gravel, paving, artificial grass or other planting).

That said, here are the 3 MAIN PROBLEMS I come across and their SOLUTIONS:

1. SHADE.
This is by far the most common problem. London gardens are typically hemmed in by buildings, walls, high fences or hedges on all sides. There are often mature trees nearby as well. These all create shade and we can’t really do much about them. But grass needs a certain amount of light to grow – at least 2-3 hours of sunlight a day even for specially selected shade tolerant grasses. If the space is in deep shade all day long, then grass is not going to grow there and you need to consider alternatives.
SOLUTION.
Reseed/returf the area with a specially selected shade tolerant grass mix.
Make sure that you feed the grass at least every Spring and Autumn with lawn fertilizer.
Let the grass grow longer in shady areas, do not cut it lower than 6cm/2.5 inches otherwise it will struggle and start to die off.
Even so, you may need to partially reseed the area every Spring in order to keep it going.
For deep shade, less than 2 hours of sunlight a day, consider alternatives such as an area of gravel, paving, artificial grass or shade tolerant plants (there is a wide choice).

2. COMPACTED SOIL/POOR DRAINAGE.
This is also very common, soil that is hard as a rock, doesn’t drain well, gets waterlogged when it rains and cracks when it dries out. Typical of London clay soil really. Grass becomes patchy, may die off completely, weeds and moss then invade the area.
SOLUTION.
Get digging. You need to dig up the compacted soil, break up those lumps, mix in a lot of sharp sand and compost. Then reseed/returf. Messing around putting little holes in the soil to aerate it is unlikely to sort it out properly so don’t waste your time.

3. MOSS INVASION/WEED INVASION.
This often happens alongside the problems above. The grass struggles, gets patchy and in come the moss and weeds which may take over completely.
SOLUTION.
Sort out any shade and compacted soil issues first as these are the likely causes of the moss and weeds. Throwing lime and chemicals around might work, for a while, but you probably need to sort out those broader issues first.
Rake out moss using a wire grass rake. Dig out weeds and their roots. Use moss and/or weedkiller if you like but be aware that you are still going to have to rake out the dead moss anyway.
Feed the grass that remains with lawn fertilizer. Reseed in any bare patches.
If the area has been completely overtaken by moss and weeds, you might as well dig over the entire area and reseed/returf it, bearing in mind the points above about shade and poor drainage.

Now you have dealt with the main problems, bear the following points in mind to maintain a healthy, lush, green lawn, like the one pictured above (well, maybe not QUITE that good) :
– Do not cut grass too short, keep it around 5cm/2 inches long as a general rule, but do cut it regularly, at least every two weeks, as this encourages thicker growth.
– When you cut your grass you should take no more than 25% of the length off, so don’t leave it for a month then scalp it, as that will weaken the grass and allow moss and weeds to invade.
– Feed grass at least twice a year (Spring and Autumn) with a grass fertilizer.
– Rake out moss every Spring and Autumn. Dig out individual weeds as you notice them when cutting the grass.
– Consider reseeding patchy areas every Spring and Autumn to keep the lawn going.

Well, I did say it was a lot of work… fortunately, now you know someone who could do it all for you !