Please help me feed my new lawn!

[Mattayscough]

Hi.

I relaid my lawn in October with turf and now I have given it it's first cuts of the season.

It does not look as thick and green as when it was laid and I am worried that it will turn out rubbish this summer.

Is it a good idea to use somethingl like 'Evergreen' complete on such a new lawn? The box says that it will thicken and grre up the lawn if applied in April.

Will this damage a new lawn or will it be beneficial?

Any help would be really apprediated..

Matt

 

[libby lou lou]

What preparation did you do ?

 

[lx200gps]

You ought to have cut it before now. Anyway, that being the case, first cut should be made with the blade(s) set high as it not a good idea to remove more than about 25% of the grass height with the first cut. Any more than this will result in a yellowish looking eyesore. Evidence of this can be found around most neighbourhoods at this time of year as people start mowing their lawns for the first time since September!! Then, in an effort to remedy the situation, they traipse along to their garden centre for a quick green up fertiliser, only to apply it unevenly and do even more damage.

Over the coming weeks you can lower the height of cut being careful to follow the 25% rule. If you have a large lawn then forget about the box and buy a bag instead. The more you buy the cheaper it is and you will need to apply summer lawn-feed on a regular basis throughout the growing season, from now to September. Evergreen Complete is fine as this time of year you need to use a nitrogen based feed. This will green up the grass and make it grow nice and thick. But you may want to check 'own brands' as very often the contents are very similar. Any summer lawn weed and feed will do the trick providing you follow instructions and always water in if no rain falls after a few days. Use a spreader for even application - uneven distribution can scorch the lawn and cause unsightly brown spots. If you've spent money having a lawn laid it makes sense to take precautions to keep it looking good.

Try to cut it twice a week in summer, this will help to thicken it, and don't forget to water regularly in dry periods.

Buy a good lawn-care guide.

Regards

Stan

 

[Mattayscough]

Hi. Thanks guys.

I have followed the 25% rule as close as possible but my mower only has 3 height settings so I cut on the highest first and then reduced on subsequent mows.

The lawn looks better than all neighbours but not up to perfect standard which I am aiming for.

I was unable to mow last autumn because roots had not taken by the first frosts.

In prepairation, I flatteded the area by hand (2 weekends work) dug down to 6 inches and then spread 4 inches of new screened topsoil.

I will continue to mow 1/2 times a week and use some of the Evergreen sparingly to see how it goes. Hopefully we'll get a moist warm spring and it will thicken and green up nicely. Thanks guys.

Matt

 

[Old Perennial]

I stopped using pelleted lawn feeds cause its too much of a gamble if you apply it and it doesnt rain the lawn can brown off. I was introduced to Liquid Lawn feeding but using a superspray hose end sprayer. Buy one of these and use something like Maxicrop Plus complete garden feed (seaweed) and you will keep the lawn in tip top condition. Its easier to get an even feed rate using a sprayer and because you apply with a hosepipe there is no risk of browning.