Your J & B farnaby lawn provides the best lawn that nature and modern technology can provide. It gives you the best foundation on which to build a lawn that should give years and years of pleasure.
Initial Maintenance of new lawns
1. Mowing the new lawn
The turf should have established (i.e. rooted into the ground) within 2 weeks during mild weather, providing it has received sufficient watering. It will be slower during winter months due to the lower soil temperature. Once you are happy that the turf has established sufficiently, amnd always before the grass gets two inches high, mowing can commence. Adjust your mower to a high setting so that only the tips of the grass leaves are removed first. If mowing is too severe it can inhibit establishment of the roots and even kill the grass.
If you have not levelled the site adequately, or if it has settled due to insufficient consolidation, the mowing may leave brown areas where the grass has been cut too short. this is one of the most common faults with new lawns. You should raise the height of the mower for subsequent mowing and meanwhile correct the levels by rolling lightly and/or top dress the depressions with soil.
2. Fertilising the new lawn
Nitrogen, on any plants; essential nutrients for lush leaf developments, washes out from the top soil extremely quickly, therefore, it is extremely important to replenish with a suitable fertiliser on a regular basis. This should be carried out every 4-6 weeks during the growing season, as nitrogen applied late in the Autumn or Winter will cause lush leaf development which could be scorched by frost at this time of the year.
Essential Maintenance of established lawns
1. Mowing the established lawn
Mowing should be done regularly as required, depending on growing conditions, and at least once per week from Spring to Autumn. Avoid leaving the lawn un-mown for any number of weeks. If the height of cut is to be reduced, it can be gradually reduced over a number of weeks during the main growing season, but NEVER TAKE MORE THAN 25% of the initial height of the grass in one cut, and never mow the grass closer than a quarter of an inch. During the winter, if mild conditions prevail, mow whenever frost is not imminent.
2. Feeding the established lawns
This is the single most important factor which leads to the quality of the lawn deteriorating. Lawns, like all living organisms require regular feeding if they are to remain in a healthy condition. If they are not fed regularly, the grass plants thin out and cannot compete with weeds and moss.
All established lawns should be fed in the Spring at the first real sign of any growth. This enables the lawn to start the season off with good, vigorous, healthy growth, ahead of any germinating weeds. A Spring/Summer lawn feed is available from any Garden Centre, and it should be applied as stated on the product label. The same feed should be applied regularly throughout the growing season, normally every 4-6 weeks with the last Spring/Summer feed before the end of August.
To maintain a healthy state and a good colour throughout the Winter period, it is essential the lawn is given an Autumn/Winter feed. Again this is availble from any Garden Centre, and it should be applied as stated on the product label.
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