Thursday, 15 February 2018

Lawn Care Tips: April, May, June

April Lawn Care Tips


Now we’re getting down to business. There isn’t that much to do in April except to mow and mow often from now until September. Some will suggest twice a week but that’s not always possible so mow as much as you can.

Again, no need to take off more than a third of the length in one go and generally you can repeat at the desired height to maintain an even look through Summer.

If you didn’t feed in March you probably should now. If you’ve been on top of your maintenance tasks the lawn shouldn’t be too starved of natural nutrition, but a feed can always help.

Follow the same rules as March, use a Spring/Summer feed and water lightly to prevent scorching.

April is also a good time to dig out patches of damaged grass and reseed if you didn’t get a chance to do it in February.

Either loosen with a fork and reseed to remove with a spade and relay new turf.

May Lawn Care Tips


Now would be a good time to reapply the feed if you feel the lawn needs it. Again, remember to lightly water after to prevent scorching.

Also, it’s a good time to have a look around for any weeds that may appear. Most can be weeded by hand no problem but others, especially those with a deeper root will need cutting or digging out.

Others can probably only be treated with a weed killer so examine the garden, do your research and weed accordingly.

If you haven’t done already, as the grass is growing quickly, trim the edges to make the lawn look extra neat and tidy.




Use grass shears around difficult terrain such as paving stones and an edging tool for longer border sections.

Use a plank of wood to help guide a straight edge, layout string or rope to help guide around curves.

Remember to pick up the trimmings to add to the compost.

June Lawn Care Tips


Now is a good time to rearrange garden furniture that is casting a shadow. If you have a table and chairs, or maybe a slide and climbing frame this should be moved to prevent permanent impressions on the lawn.

This is also the case for ornaments and plant pots etc.

Continue to mow little and often, never taking off more than a third of the current length.

Consider a feed, check the instructions on your Spring/Summer feed to see how often they suggest using it. If you did a feed in May chances are you won’t need to do one in June.

If it’s been dry with a significant lack of rain then lawn will probably need a light watering just to prevent it drying up too much.


Thursday, 1 February 2018

Lawn Care Tips: January, February, March

January Lawn Care Tips


We’ve talked about this already but remember to service your Mower. This is to make sure it’s in perfect condition as it has a lot to do over the next 10 months. Also, sharpen those blades if needed!

We also provided a guide on how to find spare parts on the website should you need any.

Continue to keep the lawn free from leaves or debris This is something else we’ve mentioned before but using a light rake or a brush will help keep the top of your lawn clear without damaging the bottom.

Trapping moisture in this way, especially this time of year when it’s damp enough. Will help diseases to grow and spread.

One Last point for January and any Winter month is to stay off the lawn if it’s frozen or waterlogged.

The frozen leaves are brittle and trampling the top can have damage further down. Also, those frozen footprints can hang around for quite some time and will not look great come summer.

February Lawn Care Tips


This is the time, weather permitting, that you can make any repairs to the lawn.

Here you can either dig up the soil with a fork to loosen it and get some air in there, rake it flat, seed and rake again. This will allow new grass to grow in the affected area.

Alternatively, you can remove the top layer and lay new turf. Either way the soft, damp conditions give you the perfect opportunity to repair the lawn.

Now is also a good time to trim back the hedges any anything over hanging the lawn. Just snip back and tidy up all that growth from the last few months. Not only will it look tidier, it will also allow what little sunlight there is to see the lawn and prevent some shaded areas.

Tanaka TCH22EAP2 ( 50 ) Double Sided Petrol Hedge Cutter with Free Mixing Bottle - £189

Remember to clean up any trimmings as well as to keep the law clear by continuing to use the light rake or brush.

While the ground is soft and moist now is also a good time to aerate. While there is plenty of moisture and air around aeration of the lawn will allow this goodness to get to root level. It also helps to prevent any build up of thick ‘thatch’ which may be preventing water and air getting to the soil.

March Lawn Care Tips


It’s time for the first feed of the year. Use a Spring/Summer specialist feed that will not only encourage growth but will prevent the growth of moss and weeds.

This feed will need to be lightly watered, so it pulled into the soil. This not only ensures you’re getting the best results but also prevents the ‘scorching’ effect you can get from having a nitrogen heavy feed sitting on the surface or on the leaves for too long.

Now is also the time to treat Moss. While Moss isn’t harmful, it grows in shady conditions so a sign of Moss on your lawn is probably a sign of poor growing conditions.

To remove Moss, if the feed isn’t working, it can be raked away for a short-term solution. However, if the underlying issue is not found and repaired then you can expect the Moss to grow back.

Now is the time for the first cut of the year. It’s just a maintenance cut really, nothing too deep.

You’re looking to trim a bit off the top, as we’ve mentioned before you should never cut more than a third of the current length in one go but here, you want much less than that.

Finally, for March if the lawn is less than a year old to remove any thatching and again, Moss. This is again to get light, warmth and moisture as deep into the lawn as possible. This will help to encourage growth, especially for a young lawn just coming out of it’s first Winter.

Friday, 12 January 2018

Product Spotlight - Strimmers

We’ve spoke a lot lately about large job such as the first cut of the year, lawn maintenance etc

But eventually you’re going to come down to those smaller, tidying/maintenance job that can really add those extra touches to your garden.

This is where a Strimmer comes in.

Yes, they can do larger jobs like trimming back overgrown areas, but they really come into their own on the smaller jobs like edging and trimming.

So let’s look at a few of these versatile little machines and see what they have to offer.

SGT 226 J Petrol Trimmer


This environmentally friendly petrol strimmer is great for all kinds of jobs. It features ‘Tap N’go’ where the line can be renewed automatically at the push of a button, even while it is in use.




Stihl FS 38

This is another strimmer perfect for along walls, around trees and around edges but the reason it’s on the list is that it weighs just 4kg!



Stihl FS 38 - £165

Tanaka TCG22EAB


While still light at 4KG, the Tanaka TCG22EAB features a bent shaft to allow for a better view of the job you are performing for extra control and accuracy. There is also a loop handle for firm yet comfortable control.



Tanaka TCG22EAB - £159


Stihl FS 50 C-E

To step it up a bit, the Stihl FS 50 C-E can still handle all the same jobs and has a bent shaft and loop handle. But it also has ‘jerk free starting’ and a more streamlined start up process as well as a low emission 2 stroke engine.

Not bad, especially when you consider it only weighs 4.5KG



Stihl FS 50 C-E - £240

Multi-Tool 5 in 1

For something that will look at all those little jobs around the garden, we have a 5 in 1 tool. This has a strimmer with ‘Tap N’Go’, a hedge trimmer, a pole pruner and an extension for those hard to reach high up places.

This is a very versatile and cost-effective addition to your gardening arsenal.




So as important as strimmer’s are, know you have options, think about the tasks you’re likely to do and shop accordingly.

Thursday, 4 January 2018

Spring 2018 Lawn Upkeep

Happy New Year everyone! As we turn our back on 2017 we’re turning towards Spring and its mildly warmer weather. This of course means more outdoors time.

So if you followed our advice for Lawn care in November and Winter Lawn Mower Maintenance you should be in a good position to get a good start. It’s still early yet but there is no harm in getting ready to go in February/March. (Depending on the weather)

Scarifying


We’ve talked before about making sure the lawn is kept clear to help it breath and prevent mould and disease so I won’t go into it again here… But keep it in mind.

Aeration


Not only is this a good time to Aerate your lawn as your grass is growing but also the ground will be softer making it much easier.

This will let the roots breath and take in nutrients which will encourage growth.



First Cut


For the first cut of the year you can cut as normal but just take care as the soil may be damp, so you might want to cut a bit higher than normal to make sure you don’t dig it up.

Remember to stick to the rule of never cutting off more than a third of the current length of the grass and you won’t go wrong.

This where an adjustable height mower comes in handy, allowing you to cut higher during these difficult periods.




First Feed


You should give your Lawn the first of its yearly 4-6 feeds at the start of Spring. You can buy specific Spring or Spring/Summer feed which is tailor made for this purpose.

You’ll want to get that Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium in there to help it recover. At this time of year you can usually rely on rain to rinse any dry granules, no need to water.




So 4 things to prepare for. You only have 6-10 weeks before you have to put all of this into action so it’s worth thinking about now.

Thursday, 21 December 2017

Product Spotlight: Hedge Cutter

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could trim a hedge down to it’s perfect length and it just… didn’t grow anymore? Sadly, that won’t happen, and your perfectly sculptured hedge will start to look wild and rough eventually.

But, it can be trimmed, and the project can start again. Maybe try something new? Whatever the size and shape there is a Hedge Cutter suitable for your need.



The Tanaka TCH22EAP2 is great for home or lighter commercial use. It has low emissions from it’s 22cc Pure Fire Engine and also smooth low-effort pull starts.

The Twist Handle is great for giving you the best opportunity to be able to work at the correct angle.





The Tanaka TCH 22ECP2 features the same twist handle and easy start as the previous example, but has an extra 16cm in length. This allows you to spend less time completing those big jobs.

Not that spending time with this hedge cutter is a problem as it’s anti-vibration strings makes this tool very comfortable to use.




Finally, the Tanaka TCH22ECP2 puts all of this together into one very long package. Having all the advantages of the previous 2 models, but has a whopping 780mm double sided, tripe edge blade.




From the small to the large, from the waist high to head high, World of Mowers has a hedge cutter that is suited to your needs and budget.

Thursday, 14 December 2017

Spring Lawn Renovation

Our last few posts have looked at the now… Salt Spreaders, Winter Mower Repairs and Winter Lawn Maintenance.

It’s time to look forward a bit, towards spring where it’s a good time to renovate your lawn if it’s not looking as good as it could. There are a few steps to take which is why it’s good to cover them now, so you have time to think about them before the weather returns to more outdoor friendly temperature.

Let’s look at one particular job you might consider, Scarifying and Reseeding.

Some parts of your Lawn may not look too healthy (If your lawn suffers from excessive thatching etc) so the lawn may need scarifying... Now it will mean you will have to do this until the scarifier machine itself hits soil which will mean that portion of the lawn will be bare.

Then you can rebuild. Then you need to ‘repair’ this newly scarified patch of Lawn. To do this, you can use spiked roller to makes holes in the ground and also flatten it out a little if it’s uneven.


12in Sorrel Roller SSR12 - £399

These holes allow water, oxygen and nutrients to get into the soil so you can bring back life into the lawn. This newly revived patch of lawn can then be reseeded and will grow back much healthier then before with regular watering.


Agri-FabPush 50lb Spreader 45-0409A - £69

So, something to consider. If in autumn/winter you’ve looked out at your lawn and wished you had done something to make it better this year, start to plan now.

Thursday, 30 November 2017

Product Spotlight: Salt Spreaders

With the met office forecasting the arrival of La Niña this winter, it’s time to get prepared. The last time we saw La Niña was the winter of 2010 which saw unprecedented snowfall and a big freeze.



https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SnowSheffield1dec10.jpg

The weather in this winter let to a surge in the sale of snow shovels, rock salt and salt spreaders.

So with the return of La Niña this winter, it might be the ideal time to invest in salt spreaders.
World of Mowers have a few options some of which double up as seed and fertiliser spreaders.

For smaller areas an easier and less expensive option is a small salt spreader.



This one has a 60kg hopper size and its pneumatic wheels make it easy to push over uneven ground. In the summer months the spreader can be used for seed and fertiliser.

For larger areas there is the Large Manual Salt Spreader.



This salt spreader has an integral agitator to create an even spread and a skirt to control the width of the spread and can also be used with fertiliser and seed.

If you are looking for a salt spreader that can be towed rather than pushed, the towed disc spreader is easily attached to your vehicle and has an adjustable speed control depending on what you are spreading. A handy showerproof cover keeps the salt dry while you are spreading.



Most of the spreaders available at World of Mowers can be used for salt spreading. So take a look at what is on offer at World of Mowers this winter before the weather turns.