Maintaining your lawn in Autumn

With the clocks going back an hour and winter drawing in, it’s important to know what to do with your lawn to keep it in top condition. Several simple techniques and industry tips can keep your garden grass in great condition during the year, and to help it to look great for the new year!

 Rolawn Medallion Turf

When to Mow the Garden Lawn in Autumn?

From September/October, you should gradually start to decrease mowing frequency. With less sun and the temperatures falling, the grass growth rate decreases. A common mistake is to over-mow in Autumn, and should be avoided. You should also raise the height of the cut as winter approaches, and ensure that your mower is still in good condition with sharp blades.

You will also need to aerate and scarify and your lawn if it is more than 12 months old.

What is Aerating? Do I need to Aerate my turf?

Compaction of soil is the reduction of pore space, and can cause turf to suffer. The grass will grow slowly and will be short. This encourages nuisances like weeds and moss to grow. To relieve this compaction and improve the turf quality, the ground can be aerated. This can be simply done through a garden fork.

The Handy Hollow Tine Aerator or the Bulldog Pedigree Digging Fork are great tools to use to aerate and reduce this compaction.

New turf does not require aeration.

What Is Scarifying, and when do I need to Scarify?

Scarifying is the process of removing the undergrowth from a lawn. This removes the build up of dead grass matter, roots, and moss, which cause increased stress to the grass. Scarification may be a tedious process, and initially may make the lawn look worse, but in the long run can really enhance your lawn. There are only a few weeks when you should scarify your lawn, and Autumn is the perfect time to do it! This can be done through a spring-tine rake, or the Handy 2 in 1 Scarifier/Raker, whilst electric or petrol scarifiers are readily available to hire.

Can I lay turf in Autumn?

Autumn is a great time to replace any damaged or worn areas with new Rolawn Turf. October is the ideal month to lay turf, with germination taking 7 to 21 days depending on growing conditions.  Rolawn Medallion Turf can be laid all year round, however should never be laid onto frozen ground. Medallion Turf is a premium turf which is grown and harvested in Yorkshire, and must be laid within 24 hours of receiving, and the site must be fully prepared (flattened with good quality soil) in anticipation of laying.

Cutting Back Vegetation

In Autumn you will also need to clear the lawn of leaves and debris as trees start to shed, and cut back vegetation. This gives the turf the best chance of receiving light to grow, and also helps to reduce competition for nutrients and water, allowing the grass to prosper.

Following these processes will help to keep your lawn well maintained during September and October, and in the best shape before winter starts to creep in.