Unfortunately, it is not possible to have a beautiful looking lawn for next to nothing. Of all the garden surfaces a lawn is by far the most expensive to keep looking good on account of its high maintenance. Most lawns (better to call them grassed areas) in this country look an eyesore because their owners cannot be bothered to take the time to learn a few basic rules for good turf management. Oddly enough these same people will go to any lengths to ensure their shrubs and plants are kept healthy and looking their best. When it comes to the lawn I’m afraid it just has to fend for itself, with no regular food, very little watering and infrequent close-cropping from April to September. Is it any wonder lawns look so awful?? Once you accept the fact that your grass is a plant also and it too will benefit from a bit of TLC it won’t be long before you see the benefits.
If you’re serious about looking after your own lawn then forget about Greenthumb. You can do a better job yourself and save money into the bargain once you learn a few things about basic lawncare. If you know absolutely nothing then the first thing I would do is buy The Lawn Expert. You can pick this up for about a fiver but it will save you hundreds of pounds. In a nutshell what you have to do is feed your lawn about every six weeks from now until September with summer food (high in nitrogen). If you don’t want to pay £20 for a bag of this stuff then you could always opt for lawn sand, which will green up your grass and kill any weeds also. £5 buys you a bag and the coverage is approx 75-100 sq mtrs for a smallish bag. Great stuff. I use it all the time in combination with the above mentioned lawn food and I haven’t seen any weeds or moss in my grass for years. You should cut the grass twice a week during summer with a good lawnmower with sharp blades. And if you live in an area where rain is short then you will need to water once a week. So, get the book, then a good spreader, and then a sprinkler. That’s £50 already without buying the food or paying for water, and we haven’t taken into account the number of hours per week you are going to be out there.
If you want a good lawn then follow my advice, if you want a cheap lawn then it’s easy, you just do nothing. Have fun.
Mr Pickles
