SEASONAL LAWN JOBS – Just Lawns London

Here are the general stages in laying your lawn:

Lift old turf with a specialised cutter unit. This lifts the complete turf including roots by rolling the turfs up as they are cut to a specific depth.
The subsoil is now assessed for aeration to loosen the ground so that water and nutrients can infiltrate efficiently over time.
If weeds are a problem, we may recommend a herbicide application that is left on the soil to systemically kills the weed roots over 2 weeks or so.
To improve the soil prior to turf laying a screened loam topsoil/sand dressing can be applied with a fertiliser.
Once the lawn base is level the turfs are laid followed by several weeks of watering to ensure the turf roots grow into the subsoil.

Each garden is different so the stages can vary according to your lawn needs You have a single consultant to advise you on the stages and follow up care after your new lawn is completed.

Guidance on lawn treatments

Every lawn is unique so this information is a general guide rather than a prescriptive plan. The variations in lawn conditions can include soil acidity, drainage conditions, aspect to the sun, shade influences from surrounding trees and shrubs, levels of compaction from lawn use and lawn slope angles.

Here are the general stages in improving your lawn

Address any weed and moss issues via ferrous sulphate applications and lawn weed suppressants.
Scarification of dead grass thatch and weeds/moss.
Aeration via cores or blades to improve drainage conditions.
Topsoil and coarse sand dressing to improve soil conditions and create a more even lawn surface.
Seed dressing on bare patches with the mix depending upon lawn conditions.
Liquid or granular fertiliser applications to improve lawn disease resistance and vitality. The exact mix varies with the seasons and existing lawn condition.

Why Aerate or Scarify my lawn?

Our lawns need as much care as we give to our borders and garden trees.

The evidence of a lawn in poor health includes discolouration to brown and yellow shades, waterlogged areas, a build up of moss and weeds along with bare patches.

Over time the grass on the lawn can become compacted from years of walking across it causing the root density along with the thatch to become a barrier to water, air and nutrients reaching the grass roots. For a lawn to thrive it needs a regular supply of water, nutrients and air flow from the surface into the roots, it is these needs that are dealt with via aeration and scarification.

The Aeration unit cuts into the root area under the grass; this may appear a harsh process but the benefits are numerous. An aerated lawn allows water to infiltrate quickly into the root area, likewise nutrients pass from the surface to the roots for uptake producing deeper roots and more vibrant grass growth. Microbes that break down thatch and assist in root growth are encouraged by aeration.

The Scarification unit removes the dead organic matter between the surface grass and the root area. It works with aeration to allow water and nutrient movement but also assists in reducing moss build up in the lawn area.

We can advise on the best time of the year to do these operations that can be combined with a top dressing of re seeding and soil for thickening up your lawn. Generally we advise against these procedures in winter or during drought periods.

Regal lawn seed/turf specification

We lay an excellent turf with a medium texture that roots quickly and is a hard wearing lawn that keeps its colour all year round.

Cheaper utility turfs are available from other suppliers but we feel that the process of laying a new lawn should be considered as a long term garden investment and as such the best available turf should be used.

Composition data:-

Dwarf Ryegrass 25%

Smooth Stalked Meadow grass 15%

Slender Creeping Red Fescue 20%

Chewings Fescue 20%

Strong Creeping Red Fescue 20%

Dwarf Ryegrass/Smooth Stalked Meadow Grass are bred in the UK for our specific weather conditions, they have excellent leaf fineness and high root score density, the Meadow Grass leaf has a mid/dark green colour it cuts cleanly.

Chewings Fescue is a well proven cultivar with a superb shoot density and year round dark green colour.

Creeping Red Fescue has a good shoot density that is quick to establish with an excellent disease resistance, the Slender type has a dense fine leaf form.