LAWN CARE

• Always water lawn before feeding
• Mowing close to ground level increases the risk of weed invasion. It is best to leave three centimetres of grass to protect the ground.
• To repair worn areas, lightly fork over and then give a vigorous raking over. An application of a weed and feed product that clips onto your hose will work wonders. Finally sow some lawn seed or runners in any bare areas and the job is done.
• De-thatch once a year, usually in late-winter. Thoroughly and vigorously rake the entire lawn to clean out accumulated dead grass
• Lawns can become compacted, depending on the traffic they get, which can lead to decreased plant viability. To fix this aerate the lawn with a hollow-tinned roller. You can also hire a coring machine or use a strong fork to pierce the ground and allow air and water into the soil. You can also find aerating shoes at a hardware store.
• Hungry, impoverished lawns quickly become weed-infested. To fertilise them use a specially-formulated, slow-acting lawn food that will sink down past shallow roots. It will induce the roots to grow down to find the food.
• Broad-leaf weed control or 'lawn sand' is simply one part dry sand mixed with one part sulphate of ammonia. Scatter over weed-infested areas and within days it will bolt out onto growth, then turn black and die.
  
• Top dressing can introduce weeds. It is best done only if your lawn is uneven.
• Strategic lawn maintenance is important because lawn grasses can become water guzzlers.
• Lawns don't need watering every day, even in summer. Only water them once a week.
• Look for drought resistant and hardy grasses for your lawn.
• Don't panic if the grass turns brown. It is a natural reaction to the sun.
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