Gardeners can be divided into two groups: those who give their grass a quick mow when necessary, and those who lavish their lawns with love, care, time and attention year-round.  I fall into the first group.  I don’t object to a variety of flora and fauna settling in the grass – moss, dandelions and even buttercups when I let it get really long.  I like watching bumble bees drift from clover to clover, and as someone who tries to avoid toxic chemicals in the garden I don’t want my lawn to be a green sea of pesticides.  In the average garden the single greatest area is likely to be taken up by the lawn, and if properly managed it can be a great haven for wildlife as well as a lovely place to enjoy your afternoon tea.

However, for all my non-interventionist policies I must admit that my lawn is not looking its best.  It’s rather patchy for one thing, and I’m frankly ashamed of what’s happening round the edges.  Something must be done, and I’m hoping I’m not the only one, so here are a few tips for those whose lawns need a little TLC.

Watering

As I’ve said before, I’m not a fan of watering the lawn.  Grass is pretty drought-tolerant anyway, and I’d rather save my water for something more exciting.  If things are getting desperate, however, here’s what you need to know:

• Water early morning or late evening, to minimise moisture loss through evaporation
• Give your grass a good, thorough soaking.  The soil needs to be damp to 10-15cm below the surface.  Dig a little hole somewhere inconspicuous to check, or if you’re really enjoying yourself use an electric moisture metre.
• Don’t go halfway and just give it a quick spritz, as this will have the effect of making the grass more vulnerable to drought.  If you’re going to water, water well. 
• You’re going to need a sprinkler.  A hose can be very deceptive and you won’t get the even coverage you need.

Mowing

According to the RHS, if you want a high-quality lawn in summer you need to be mowing 3 times a week.  This will make you very unpopular with your neighbours, and won’t leave you any time to actually enjoy your garden.  Once a week should be fine.  Unless you want a bowling-green finish, try not to cut too short – longer grass keeps the soil below more cool and damp.  Between 2-5cm is best, depending on your tastes.

Fertilising

Here we start to get a little more technical.  Like all plants, grass needs nutrients to look its best, and if you treat your lawn like I treat mine the soil may now be rather depleted.  Nitrogen is generally the one to look out for, and nitrogen-deficient grass will be yellowy-green and rather reluctant to grow.  Soils and drainage vary from garden to garden, so read the instructions very carefully, and follow them to the letter.  Uneven distribution will be very obvious very quickly, and too-heavy doses can kill grass.  Theoretically you should feed your lawn in spring, summer, and autumn.  If this all sounds a bit daunting wait till you see what’s coming next…

Aerating and Scarifying

My parents used to have a pair of plastic ‘shoes’ with long metal spikes coming out of the soles.  You were meant to slip them over your normal shoes before vigorously and furiously stamping all over your lawn to aerate it.  You can probably guess how many times those shoes got used.

Aerating encourages deep root growth (again improving drought-resistance) and helps remove thatch – the accumulation of cut grass and other bits and pieces that can impede water from getting to where it’s needed.  Too much thatch and your lawn becomes congested.  Aside from the ridiculous shoes, you can buy a number of manual and powered machines to do your aerating and scarifying, but for small lawns there are simpler options.  Stabbing the grass with a garden fork and then raking with a metal rake in two directions, at right angles to one another, will get the best results.  I can tell you from grim experience that this is exhausting work.

Edges

If you have any energy left, make sure your edges aren’t letting the side down.  Edging shears will take care of overhanging grass, but if you can’t tell where your lawn ends and your flowerbed begins you need a real edging tool.  Use a half-moon edger and a plank to ensure you get a straight line, and once you get into the swing of it it’s a surprisingly quick job.

If you can accomplish all that you’ll have a lush green carpet, and I take my gardening hat off to you.  I’m exhausted just writing it all down.  In fact, it might be time for that afternoon tea…