I’m a gardening pro – 7 cheap and easy tips for the greenest grass, including why you shouldn’t cut it too short
A GARDENING expert has shared his tips and tricks for a perfect green lawn this spring.
You don’t have to be a gardening professional to achieve them either.
The founder of GardeningExpress, Chris Bonnett, has made it easy for experienced and non-experienced garden fans alike.
“There are a few routine things you can do to keep your grass looking healthy and bright like adding fertilizer, leaving grass clippings, and top dressing,” he said.
“If you do all of these things consistently, you’ll notice a real change in your lawn.”
His first tip might surprise some people.
Don’t cut your grass too short. A neat tidy garden is generally considered a good thing. But think again.
“Having short grass could be doing more harm than good,” warned Chris. “Shorter grass means less photosynthesis which means less growth.”
Therefore, gardeners are advised to aim for grass two to three inches long.
Next up, use fertilizer.
According to Chris, gardeners need to fertilize their lawns a few times throughout the year, in the spring, again in the summer, and once in the early autumn.
After mowing the lawn, lay down the fertilizer with a spreader which will ensure you have even coverage. Then leave this to settle in the grass for around 24 hours then give it just a light water.
The next tip is top dressing which is well worth incorporating into your healthy grass regime.
“Mix together materials like sand, soil loam, and peat and apply this to your dry grass,” said Chris. “The materials will transfer nutrients back into the soil and promote growth.”
Another trick Chris advises is to hang onto those grass clippings. They can be enormously beneficial for grass growth and health.
Clippings decompose and transform healthy nutrients that promote growth back into the soil, keeping your grass healthy.
His next tip is to adjust the watering schedule
Instead of short bursts of watering, give your grass a more concentrated, longer water a few times a week. This will give it a chance to penetrate down to the roots.
Leaving it for a couple of days will give the grass plenty of time to soak it up before the next watering.
Another valuable tip is the aeration of your grass.
Aeration is the process of creating small holes in your lawn to allow it to breathe and allow air and nutrients to access the roots. The good news is this can be simply done with a garden fork.
Simply dig it into different sections of the grass. Or, if you prefer, buy a lawn aerator.
Finally, Chris advises overseeding.
Look out for bare spots on your lawn. If you see any you may need to opt for some overseeding. A bare area indicates less-healthy grass. Therefore, you might want to think about overseeding the area.
“It’s a great way to sow new seed over the existing lawn and can lead to fuller-looking grass,” said Chris.
