How to take care of your lawn this autumn

It’s September tomorrow, meaning autumn is imminent – and the time for lawn-care rituals is now.

If your lawn has been put through its paces this summer, the time before temperatures drop and growth comes to a halt is the ideal opportunity for maintenance to take place.

Local garden expert Jane Thomas recommends one or more of the following to resolve any lawn issues this autumn.

Get scarifying

Moss is a problem in damp, poorly drained lawns. Scarification (vigorous raking) reduces the layers of thatch – old moss, debris and dead grass – in the lawn, which can prevent water and fertiliser from reaching the roots. On small lawns this can be done by hand, raking out the moss with a spring-tined rake, but for larger lawns mechanical scarifiers can be hired.

Aerate and top-dress

Aerating (or spiking) the lawn allows more air, water and nutrients to get to the roots. Top dressing is the application of a mixture of loam, sand and compost, which is raked in to improve the lawn’s appearance.

Feed, feed, feed

Use an autumn lawn fertiliser specifically for protecting the grass from frost and icy conditions. High nitrogen spring/summer feeds will encourage top growth, which is soft and easily damaged by frosts - so not ideal for autumn lawn feeding.

Find out more about Jane at www.janethomaslandscapes.co.uk