Lawn Care & Maintenance Tips

A rich green and healthy lawn sets off a home beautifully and can be a source of great pride. Grass like other plants needs care and maintenance to thrive. Follow our handy guide to help you achieve the perfect lawn.

Lawn care and maintenance simplified is the provision of the essential elements grass needs; namely air, sunlight, nutrients and water. Our helpful tips are centred on these essentials, with some added expertise to help you easily achieve a professional looking lawn. For example, keeping your grass clear of weeds, dead growth and moss plays an important part in allowing sufficient air and sunlight to your grass.

Lawn Aeration

Aeration is the addition of air to a material, and in terms of lawn maintenance it is important that your soil has plenty of air. Soil tends to become compacted over time, particularly in areas of foot traffic, which means essential elements such as oxygen, water and nutrients can’t reach the grass root system. Aerating your lawn once a year, will allow water and nutrients to penetrate into the soil.

Aerating involves making holes in the lawn either manually with a fork or by extracting a plug of soil with a mechanical device specially designed for aerating a lawn. Aerating tools are available at Topline stores. The best time to aerate your lawn is in the autumn.

Lawn Feed

Lawn feed, also known as fertiliser, is absolutely key to a beautifully green lawn. Without this supply of nutrients, your grass will quickly use up the nutrients in the soil and its growth will become thin and pale. There are many varieties available in your local Topline.

When to Feed Your Lawn
Feed your lawn in early spring to jump start root development. Feed again in autumn to repair summer damage and prepare it for a potentially harsh winter.

How to Apply Lawn Feed
You can apply the feed by simply spreading it by hand, or by using a push spreader. Make sure to wear protective gloves when handling lawn feed, and always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Lawn Mowing Tips

Always use sharp mower blades and don't cut a lawn when the grass is wet. Using a sharp mower blade will cut grass cleanly and evenly. A poorly maintained blade will leave grass shredded, more susceptible to disease and in need of more nutrients to repair the damage.

It’s best to cut off no more than a third of the grass blades with each mowing. If you cut too much of the grass blade it will take longer for the grass to recover.

Mowing will encourage the grass to expand. When grass is cut, it grows new leaves to absorb sunlight. This helps to build a thicker lawn, which is more resistant to weeds and disease. It is best to mow frequently during the growing seasons (spring, summer and autumn).

Lawn Watering

As Ireland ‘enjoys’ a wetter climate than most countries, we tend not to worry too much about watering our lawns. There are times however in summer when temperatures can be harsh on grass and a few simple signs will tell you if your lawn needs watering. When grass needs water, it will begin to take on a yellow tint and the blades of grass will begin to curl up and wilt. To avoid unnecessary water charges, try collecting rainwater to use in a water butt. Grass and plants also grow better with fresh rainwater than with tap water.

Grass will benefit more from one good, heavy watering than it would with a regular light spray, so give the lawn a good drenching when you notice it wilting in the heat.

Weed & Moss Control for a Perfect Lawn

As all good gardeners know, weeding is unfortunately an ongoing process. Here are some tips to make it that bit easier: 

• Apply weed killer in early spring before weeds have a chance to develop strong root systems.
• Some lawn feeds contain weed and moss killer too and will save you time and money.
• Remove random weeds by hand or with a garden hoe.
• Moss tends to be a problem in poorly drained areas and should be removed before it kills off the grass. Check out our simple step-by-step guide on How to Remove Moss.

Lawn Dethatching (also known as scarification)

Thatch is a tough mixture of dead grass and roots that gathers above the soil surface. Too much thatch can prevent water, air, sunlight and nutrients penetrating down to the roots of your grass, therefore stunting healthy growth. Removing thatch is a critical step in your lawn care and maintenance regime. Raking your lawn vigorously will remove thatch, or you can also use a mechanical scarifier. This task is best carried out in early spring and late autumn.