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If you managed to get your moss raking done last month then this month should be easier on your back! Possible jobs for May apart from mowing: For now the May outlook is still unsettled with below average temperatures which could mean difficult mowing conditions. That may not bring too much cheer but it should mean fantastic growth and great looking lawns once it stops raining!! It's also been a problem to germinate grass seed with the soil being so cold from all the rain however, the ground moisture will mean an easier time for repairs and renovations that may need doing, and being able to do this during a hosepipe ban is great news for many. If you have had problem getting seed to germinate it should get going once things start to warm. It is worth inspecting it though as the shear volume of rain may have washed your seed away in which case you'll need to re-apply. As always it's advisable to consider the weather and ground conditions before undertaking any lawn care jobs and treatments. Heat, drought, frost and excessive rainfall all require some adjustment to your lawn care regime though without a crystal ball we can all get caught out on occassions. Slow growth this month with perhaps more mowing being done in March than April. Wet ground will also make mowing difficult so mow at every opportunity - if you miss a week you can guarantee the weather will stop you mowing until the grass is up to the window cill! Depending on conditions adjust your mowing: For the future (perhaps we'll get the BBQ summer promised in 2010!) if mowing to preserve moisture then you need to mow as high as possible: You also need to mow with sharp blades to minimise loss of water through jagged cuts with blunt blades. For the mowing season you need to do two things: keep it clean and keep it sharp. If the grass is damp it can easily build up inside the mower so always give the mower a good brush, scrape or hose down after every use. Secondly, if you do a lot of mowing, then be prepared to sharpen or swap blades mid-year to maintain a clean cut. If you haven’t already fertilised the lawn, this month is still a good time to apply a spring feed. If you’re doing any other lawn maintenance then put your lawn fertiliser in afterwards. It's also worth noting that the wet conditions will take nutrients out of the soil and increase the nutrient demands of the grass plants once things start warming up. This means the lawn will need more fertiliser so apply at the higher end of the rate scale during or after very wet weather. There are a variety of Lawnsmith® Fertilisers* that can be applied at this time of year. Being granular and slow release they offer gentle growth, a high degree of grass safety, minimal burn risk even in the hands of a novice and are perfect for getting the grass revitalised and in great condition. The choice is simple and based around your soil and your enthusiasm for lawn care: The weeds are well on the way now so this month is a great time for applying weed killer* to the whole lawn either by knapsack sprayer* or watering can. If you’ve been diligent with your weed control and have few weeds then keep at it with a combination of spot treating individual weeds with a Ready to Use Weed Killer* or manually removing any obvious large weeds. See Weed Identification for more detail and control methods. Normally it’s getting a bit late to start a full moss control programme, but the wet conditions may mean moss removal has had to be delayed. Don't worry, things will eventually begin to dry making raking that much easier. Be patient, you can rake anytime growth is good so late May or even June is preferable to raking on a muddy cold lawn! Caution – weeds are now flowering and seeding so any damage may result in a few extra weeds. So, be gently with the raking and make sure you over seed* bare areas and have a supply of weed killer* on hand just in case. Please also note you may cause some transient grass burn to the lawn if applying a ferrous sulphate* based moss killer* in dry conditions. In dry conditions pop the sprinkler on the lawn for just 10 minutes before treatment to give everything a soaking. Perhaps treating at the end of the day would also be beneficial. Do NOT apply ferrous sulphate on new seedlings. Finally, it is worth reflecting that getting too heavy handed with the lawn in spring might not be such a good idea. At Lawnsmith we have always promoted raking, moss control and light scarifying in the spring with more invasive scarifying and thatch removal for the autumn. Though this strategy helps avoid a spring weed invasion it is not much consolation if the hard winter left you with more moss than grass and once it is removed you're left with a lot of bare soil! If this is the case then keep at it, over seed, fertilise, perhaps adjust some lawn care practices and your grass will improve and moss invasion will be less. See Lawn Raking & Scarifying for procedures. Normally I only recommend watering if you have put new grass seed or turf down, or prior to applying ferrous sulphate* if conditions are dry. I've always believed that a properly fed and cut lawn will ensure deep roots and good colour in all but the driest summers. So, if you are going to water please read Watering the Lawn, it'll help you get the most out of watering and prevent some unwanted side effects such as red thread. As discussed in Lawn Aeration Advice, aeration is highly beneficial if done properly. Using lawn aerators* such as a rolling aerator or aerator sandals makes it relatively easy. At the least you should be looking to use a fork on the most trafficked areas around clothes lines, path-to-lawn entry points, kid’s goal mouth and postman’s shortcut. Add grass seed* to any worn areas after aeration then fertilise. The benefits may not always be obvious but a well aerated lawn will stay greener longer in dry weather, utilise showers more readily and allow excess water to move through the soil more easily. Spring through summer is the ideal time to be spiking with aerating sandals, roller or garden fork. Even when the surface is getting firm light aeration or pricking, perhaps only 1cm deep will open the surface to better accept the briefest shower. Please note that it is now too late to be slitting or using a hollow tine aerator unless you can irrigate. These increase drying of the soil so if conditions dry you are just compounding the problem. Raking out moss if grass growth is good will help your lawn. Be gentle and keep damage to a minimum as there are zillions of weed seeds now waiting for a bare patch in your lawn! Scarifying should be left until August or September as the procedure is far more invasive though it is better to do it now if you weren't able to do it last autumn. Renovation requires water to help the grass repair and recover so only undertake renovation if you can water if conditions are or become dry. Any seeding or turfing done after this month will require regular watering or rain to establish. Spring is often a disease free time for lawns with red thread only occurring as humidity levels rise from May onwards. This means that with the recent rains, when the weather does warm you could be in for an outbreak. High nitrogen levels reduce the severity considerably so a good dose of fertiliser should be applied at the first signs. Though it's unlikely to happen this month with all the rain, dry weather will make fairy rings, dry patch and dry soil conditions more obvious. If your lawn has these conditions a wetting agent such as Chafer Beetles may also start to be seen around the garden. A very common insect throughout the UK and Europe hatching in May to June – hence the name June Bug! If you see large numbers have a read of our Chafer Grub advice as this may indicate a forthcoming lawn problem. Consider this appropriate for the finest of lawns to consolidate any areas raised by worm activity and frost heave. Do this any time into May on relatively firm ground. Please note that rolling will not level a lawn, top dressing will. Top dressing is an advanced lawn care procedure to reduce thatch and smooth the lawn surface. If you are not a lawn nut then I suggest you don’t need to bother! If you are then as soon as you’ve got some good grass growth lower the mowing height and get your first top dressing done. Application rates and frequency will vary depending on your goals and type of lawn so please read our top dressing advice. With dryer months just round the corner (fingers crossed) put this off until autumn unless you can water the area regularly. Having said that, the warmer temperatures are great for germinating grass seed* but you do need daily watering or rain. *Lawnsmith Products from this Diary: Thanks for visiting the Lawn Diary Have a great month,Diary Issued 1st May 2012
This Month in a Nutshell
The Weather
Lawn Mowing
Lawn Mowers
Fertilising the Lawn
Weed Control
Moss Control
Watering the Lawn
Lawn Aeration
Scarifying & Raking
Lawn Repair & Renovation
Pests & Diseases
MAXIMISE* will go a long way to reducing the severity of the problem and enabling good grass growth.Rolling the Lawn
Lawn Top Dressing
Creating a New Lawn
