14 Outside
not apply chemicals. You will probably
need a different mower (a strimmer
even). For animal life alone it will be
a far more accommodating habitat
and plants will flower that never had
a chance before, such as selfheal,
speedwell, white clover and plantains.How do I win the battle
against dandelions without
losing the buttercups?
There’s no weedkiller that will kill one,
but not the other. Either spot treat the
dandelions or selectively dig them out,
and dead-head them so that the seed
can’t blow about.My dog dug up a big clump of
turf in the middle of my lawn.
How best to patch it up again?
Turf. It will look as good as new straight
away and you can put it all back a
second time when the dog does it
again. They always do.back, to feed it, and let it grow longer
in winter, as respite.If parts of the lawn are in full
sun and others in shade, what
is the best grass?
It would be wise to choose shade-
tolerant turf or seed, but the two areas
will always show some difference.
Feeding, watering and shade-reduction
will make more difference than turf type.There is a bright green patch
where my paddling pool was
sitting. How can I get rid of it?
That patch was just starved of sunlight.
Now it’s in full light again its chlorophyll
will stock up on sunshine and turn dark
green in no time. Mow as usual.How do I grow a wilder lawn?
Simply cut it higher, at 10 to 15cm,
perhaps once every six weeks, and doHow do I bring my dry and
brown grass back to life?
Give it one very good soaking, a light dose
of lawn feed (no need for weed or moss
killers in it, and it could be organic) then
keep off it until it’s properly green again.Do I need to aerate my lawn?
Not as a rule. You only need to aerate
when the soil is very compacted and
there are bald patches on your lawn.
That’s when the roots of your lawn
grasses can’t breathe (clay soils compact
most easily). Opening up vertical shafts
into the turf, mechanically or simply
with a fork, allows air to penetrate and
restore vigour to the turf.I sprayed my weeds with a
chemical weedkiller. Now what
do I do with the dead weeds?
Weedkillers for lawns are known as
“selective herbicides” because they kill
broadleaved plants, but not grasses. The
rougher the lawn and the bigger the
weeds, the more the dying shows. AllowAll you need
to know for
a dream lawn
the chemical the specified time to work,
then you can mow again and the dead
leaves will be removed. No need to pull
them up.Do I need to water my lawn
or is that a waste of time?
Watering a healthy lawn as a matter
of routine wastes time and water. It also
creates a problem by training roots to
look for water at the surface instead of
deep down.Can I have a lush lawn without
using harsh chemicals?
Sure. What truly sets apart magazine-
quality lawns from everyday lawns is a
wall-to-wall uniformity. For that all-over
effect you cultivate well, rake out moss,
hand-weed the biggest weeds, spike
trodden-down, compacted areas (using a
garden fork or aerator tool), let light on
to the gloomy bit, dig out the rubble from
under the dry bit — and water at night if
the situation is desperate. In spring you
feed it all over, organically or artificially.
Then be prepared for regular mowing.How frequently should I mow
my lawn?
Robot mowers almost never stop
mowing, and certainly if you like
your grass really short you will
need to cut at least once a week
in summer, depending on weather
and soil fertility. However, that crucifies
the grass. You will have to put somethingBrown grass, empty
patches? Our
gardens expert
Stephen Anderton
has the answers
What truly sets
apart quality
lawns from
everyday lawns
is a wall-to-wall
uniformity
ALAMYQuestion time