If a summer of drought or wear and tear has left your lawn in a sorry state, early autumn is the perfect time for autumn lawn care to breathe new life into tatty turf. Even a formerly pristine lawn ravaged by a dry summer can be nurtured back to good health.
Best Months for Lawn Renovation
September and October are ideal for lawn renovation. With comfortably lower temperatures and warm, moist, and workable soil, you can achieve great results. Here are our top lawn jobs for the autumn months and how you can put your Kent & Stowe tools to good use.
Scarify Your Lawn
If you only have time for one task, make it scarifying. Raking thatch (dead grass stems and moss) helps water penetrate into the root zone, aiding grass recovery when autumn rain falls. For small lawns, use a spring-tine rake, like the Kent & Stowe Stainless Steel Long Lawn and Leaf Rake or Scarifying Rake. For larger lawns, a powered scarifier will simplify the job, and you'll be amazed at the amount of dead material removed.
Aerate the Lawn
Heavily trodden lawns often suffer from soil compaction, making them prone to waterlogging. To relieve compaction, aerate the lawn by spiking it every 15cm using a hollow-tine aerator to extract soil plugs. After aerating, apply a top dressing of sand, loam, and well-rotted organic matter to the holes to revitalize the lawn. Aerate every two or three years.
Cut back trees
A lawn doesn’t need to bask in sunshine all day to thrive, but grass does need good light and water to remain healthy, green and lush. Where grass is subjected to dry shade, lawns can display a yellow tinge, due to weak, malnourished grass that’s susceptible to disease, wear and tear.
If too much shade is taking its toll on your lawn, cutting back overhanging trees and shrubs can allow much-needed light and rainwater to replenish the grass below. Use sharp, telescopic loppers like SureCut to enable you to reach high branches.
Dealing with overhanging canopies also reduces twigs and debris falling onto lawns during stormy weather, risking potential damage to your lawnmower if the spinning blades are struck by the debris.
Remove Leaves
Removing leaves from lawns should be a top priority. Left to rot on damp turf, a carpeting of fallen foliage will deprive grass of light and air, resulting in bare patches. Damp, rotting leaves create an ideal environment for lawn moss to thrive, while a blanket of leaves on paths, patios and driveways can form a slip hazard. Pushing lawnmowers over excessive debris risks damaging blades and mowers can get clogged with wet debris, so make sure you’re armed with the right tools.
Using a leaf rake is the simplest, most cost-effective way to remove leaves from your lawn. If conditions are breezy, rake lawns in the direction the wind is blowing – it’ll make the job easier. A Kent & Stowe 3 in 1 Rake is perfect to use for clearing and collecting leaves from different areas of the garden. Extra wide heads make for effortless clearing of large areas such as lawns, while detachable heads transform the rake into a slimline version, allowing leaves to be pulled from tight spaces around plants and under shrubs. Detachable grabbers allow gardeners to quickly pick up gathered leaves and deposit them in a wheelbarrow or add them to the compost heap.
Essential Autumn Feeding
Feeding is crucial to prepare your lawn for winter's freezing, wet conditions. Autumn lawn feeds are high in potassium, which strengthens roots and helps fend off harsh weather and moss. Avoid spring and summer feeds after August, as their high nitrogen content promotes leafy growth susceptible to autumn frosts.
Over Seeding and Patch Repair
After scarifying and aerating, over seed your lawn to thicken sparse, patchy turf. Sow seed evenly and keep it well-watered in dry conditions. Gro-Sure Smart Lawn Seed Fast Start is a good option as the seed germinates in colder temperatures. For small patches or areas damaged by dog urine, use patch repair kits like Aftercut Patch Fix, which contain grass seed and feed. Remove dead grass, break up the soil, add the patch mix, and keep the area well-watered.
Sowing a New Lawn
Early autumn is the best time to sow a new lawn from seed, as it germinates quickly in warm, moist soil and establishes roots before winter. Prepare the ground by digging it over, removing weeds and stones, treading it down, and raking it level. Sow grass seed evenly at about 20 to 25g per square meter, lightly rake the soil over the seeds, and keep new lawns watered if rain is sparse. Avoid walking on newly sown lawns for the first month until the grass is established.
By following these autumn lawn care tips, you can restore your lawn to its former glory and ensure it remains healthy through the winter.
