The basics of caring for your lawn are simple; a regular feeding and mowing schedule as well as aeration and scarification every couple of years. Sometimes this is not enough, and you need to do a little more work to repair parts of your lawn.
In this blog, we look at the common problems and diseases people face when looking after their lawns.
How to Care for your Lawn
Grass has great powers of recovery and a well-maintained lawn can often quickly repair itself. However, weeds and unwanted types of grass are experts at surviving and they will often colonise the damaged areas before your lawn has the chance to start to do so.
Dead grass cannot repair itself, nor can entirely bald areas, so you must always repair any damaged parts of the lawn at the earliest opportunity. It is a good idea to keep some grass seed in the shed, such as our BS Renovator Lawn Repair Grass Seed. That way if you come across any damaged areas, you can lightly scatter it with seed before weeds have the opportunity to set root in the soil.
What are some common lawn problems?
Here are some of the most common problems you will encounter together with lawn care advice to resolve them.
Worn or compacted areas
If you have worn or compacted areas from excessive use, or spots where the lawnmower is always turned, aerate the soil well with a fork inserted right to the shoulder and overseed the area. For more information on overseeding read our article overseeding an existing lawn.
Thinning areas
Thin or depleted grass, caused by light shade from overhanging trees or bushes, can be treated between April and September. To resolve them, prick the area with a fork, sprinkle in the appropriate type of grass seed or lawn seed to match your lawn type and keep the area well-watered so it does not dry out.
Heavily shaded areas
It is possible for some areas of your lawn to be so shady that the grass thins out permanently. Most grasses cannot survive in the shade, so you should either replace it with a different type of grass, such as BS Shady Place Grass Seed which is a specially designed grass seed mixture to produce a quality turf under shady conditions, or overseed it every spring. You will need to do this before the leaves start growing back on the trees, so aim for late March or early April so the grass shoots can establish themselves before the ambient light decreases.
Bumps and hollows
Any bump or hollow that is too large to be managed by mowing at a setting one step higher than the rest, will need to be treated. Small areas can be treated by slicing into the turf with a spade in a cross shape to a depth of about 5cm, then pushing the spade carefully beneath the soil to lift up strips. You can then carefully add or remove soil, tread it down and fold the turf back.
For larger bumps or hollows, the turf will have to be removed completely so that soil can be added or removed. Then you will need to reseed the area with matching grass seed.
Never be tempted to fill hollows with soil on top of the turf, then overseeding it. Although it may seem like a quick and easy way to fix the problem, the area will most likely dry out, so you will only delay the inevitable work to treat it properly!
What are some common lawn diseases and their causes?
Even a lawn that has been cared for can suffer from diseases. Here is our guide to the most common diseases that can affect your lawn.
Lawn Rust
Lawn rust is a yellow, powdery substance on the surface of the grass leaves. It most often strikes in moderate temperatures, after periods of drought, so look out for it in the late summer or early autumn. To treat it, make sure there is a good supply of nitrogen in the turf by feeding it with a nitrogen-rich fertiliser such as BS Premium Spring & Summer Lawn Fertiliser. This will promote growth and the disease can then be mowed out, making sure clippings are removed to prevent the fungus from spreading.
Mildew
Another powdery pest is mildew, which is common in dry or shady areas. It appears as a white colouring on the grass leaves, but is easily treated by treating with the appropriate granular lawn fertiliser for the season.
Red Thread & Pink Patch
Red thread thrives in humid conditions, most often from May onwards. Red thread fungus is extremely common and kills the grass leaves, but not the plant itself. From a distance, the lawn will take on a blotchy appearance and if you inspect closely, you will see tiny pink threads on the leaves. It is often accompanied by another disease called pink patch. This shows up as tiny blobs that look like candy floss. The remedy, as with many lawn problems, is to use BS Spring and Summer Fertiliser to promote growth. This means you can mow out the problem and remove all clippings so the fungus cannot spread.
Lichens
Lichens are a combination of plant and fungus. They resist most chemical treatments, so treat the cause of the problem rather than the symptom. This is usually dry, compacted soil, heavy thatch and poor nutrition. In the worst cases, the lawn will need to be completely reseeded.
Fairy Rings
Fairy rings are rings of dead grass bordered by a healthy growth of green grass. They show up because the ground beneath is hard and colonised by moss or toadstools. The fungus causes the soil to become water repellent, which kills the grass plants. Treat them by spiking the lawn to aerate it and water it well. You will need to fertilise and overseed the area quickly, because once the area becomes viable again, the weeds will soon set in.
How we can help!
With Next Day Delivery on hundreds of items too, choosing from our extensive range of lawn seed couldn't be easier. Ordering regularly or looking for large volumes? Click here to apply for a trade account today - we review all applications within one working day.
Get in touch with our friendly experts who'll be happy to help.
Have a question about best practice when it comes to growing your lawn from grass seed? Or unsure which grass seed is best for your needs? Get in touch with our friendly experts who'll be happy to help.
If you're growing a lawn from scratch but unsure how much grass seed you need, our handy Grass Seed Calculator can help you figure it out in just a few clicks!
