I’m a gardening expert – my £1 hack will help keep your grass green and sets up the lawn for the year ahead
THE solution to a healthy and luscious lawn can already be found in your kitchen.
Gardening experts revealed the simple trick for keeping your grass green as you prep it for the year ahead.
The Grass People shared the best way to promote green healthy grass in your garden, reports the Daily Mail.
According to the lawn experts, there is also a step you can take in autumn to ready your grass for next year.
Given milder weather conditions, this time of year is ideal for prepping your lawn for winter.
One of the key steps to achieving this is sewing new seeds across your garden.
This helps to repair any bare patches which may have developed on your lawn.
The experts recommend using reflective items to deter birds and other animals from your garden.
They suggested using tin foil, available for £1 from Sainsbury’s, or old CDs to carry out this step.
“After laying new seed, it’s important to discourage birds and other animals from eating your seed before it’s had a chance to germinate,” explained Chris McIlroy from The Grass People.
“As much as wildlife brings lots of benefits to gardens, they can also cause havoc, especially when it comes to growing a new lawn or filling in gaps in your lawn.”
He explained the particular draw of your garden at this time of the year to the pests.
“Grass seed is an accessible food source to birds so the simplest thing to do is to deter them away using distracting sounds and sights,” he said.
“Reflective items create extra light that wards birds off, especially if the items move, too.”
You can use tin foil in a variety of ways to deter birds from your lawn.
One example is cutting the kitchen staple into strips and burying it in the soil.
Seasonal lawn care schedule
Lawn care varies from season to season, with some tasks helping to encourage growth and root development whilst others help maintain the soil quality.
Claire Baglin, landscaping category manager from Toolstation has shared lawn care tasks and tips for each season:
Spring (March, April, May)
- Start to mow the grass bi-weekly in March when the soil and air temperatures typically reach above 6C.
- Fertilise the lawn for the first time during March using some quick-release fertiliser that is rich in nitrogen to help promote shoot growth.
- Scarify the lawn for the first time during April to remove any built-up moss or thatch that can accumulate throughout the winter.
- Aerate the lawn during April by spiking holes into the soil surface. This will help to loosen the soil and encourage growth.
- Overseeding can also be carried out throughout April to patch up any thin or bare areas of grass.
Summer (June, July, August)
- From June start to cut your grass once a week – apart from in periods of extreme heat and droughts. Increase the cutting height to protect the lawn from any possible droughts.
- In June make sure to treat the lawn for any weeds – this can either be manual removal for individual weeds or using weed killer for larger clusters.
- During July and August make sure to water the lawn at least once a week by giving it a soak for 5-10 minutes.
Autumn (September, October, November)
- From September reduce the lawn mowing frequency back to once every two weeks and conduct the last mow of the year in November.
- Fertilise the lawn for a second time during October using a slow-release fertiliser that is rich in phosphorous and potassium to strengthen the lawn.
- Throughout October and November remove any fallen leaves and other debris from the lawn surface.
Winter (December, January, February)
- From December to the end of February leave the lawn alone. Grass typically does not grow in the colder winter temperatures.
- Winter is the perfect time of the year to conduct any lawnmower maintenance including checking over the blades and filters.
This deters birds as they don’t like the feel of the foil in their beaks.
Alternatively, you can hang strips of foil from high points around your garden.
This allows it to reflect the sunlight, irritating birds’ eyes.
As well as laying down tin foil, Chris suggested creating your own pest deterrent sticks.
“One cost-effective way is to use old CDs tied to bamboo sticks and put these around your garden.”