At our new garden centre in Cumbernauld we have been busy this week sowing some grass seed... so, it got me thinking... this week’s column is some information on how to get your lawn looking good for the autumn, which in turn will mean that it looks great next spring!
If you are creating a new lawn, then now is a great time to be doing it. The soil is still warm from the summer and the autumn rain will provide vital moisture to allow the grass seed to germinate quickly. Good preparation is the key to establishing a new lawn... firstly clear away any weeds and then dig over the soil to break down any lumps and create a fine surface. I find that by raking some fine compost, such as Jacks Magic into the surface of the soil I get even better results. Once the soil is smooth and level, then evenly scatter the grass seed. As with most things in life, you get what you pay for! and I would use a premium quality grass seed coated in seaweed extract to give quick and best results.
For established lawns, now is a good time to feed with Autumn Lawn Food, such as “Aftercut All in One Autumn” Before doing so, sweep up all fallen leaves and debris from your garden... this is really important as if you don’t do so, the leaves will rot on the surface of the grass and cause disease. Autumn lawn food will kill the moss in the grass and provide a slow release fertiliser which green up your lawn together with strengthening up the root system ensuring that it is strong enough to withstand the winter ahead.
So get the preparation work in now and you’ll have a fantastic lawn in Spring!
Happy gardening!
PLANT OF THE WEEK: CALLICARPA BIDINIERI ‘PROFUSION’ BEAUTY BERRY
This is a fantastically hardy plant which has gorgeous clusters of small pink flowers in midsummer and the most fantastically vibrant violet bead-like berries which appear in autumn and last until after the leaves have dropped off for winter. It looks great throughout the year with bronze purple young foilage in spring, turning a deep green in the summer when flowers appear. Truly a year round wonder!
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