Once Greenfeet Lawn Care have treated your lawn and brought it to a superior level we would recommend that you take a read through the below to further enhance the quality of your lawn.

It is in fact possible to do more harm than good with certain incorrect practices. Correct mowing practices include correct height of cuts which will encourage water conversation and healthier roots.

Click Here to see attached treatment graph for what we can do and when we can do it.

Mowing

By Scalping your lawn (cutting too short) you will in fact promote moss and weed growth. Here at Greenfeet Lawn care we would recommend the following.

• It is imperative that the right type of lawnmower is used for your type of lawn. A cylinder mower is perfect for a blemish free flat lawn with a finer grass type where as a rotary mower would be more suitable for an undulating lawn. Please feel free to consult our experts prior to buying your new mower.
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• You should never cut more than 1/2 of the total height of the grass .
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• All lawns should be cut to 1.5” or 2” depending on the current weather conditions and certainly never less than 1”.
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• Whilst mowing your lawn it is imperative that you try to remove all clipping (IE use a box on your mower) to alleviate the threat of a thatch build up or moss. By leaving your clippings sitting on the lawn after a cut it will encourage the growth of both of these common lawn problems.
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• Your lawn mower blades need to be regularly sharpened to ensure the quality of the cut .(IE this ensures a low surface wound density giving a clean cut. Blunt blades tend to leave a high surface wound density. How this is noticeable is with a high surface wound density you will see white strings and jagged look on the tip of the grass plant where the blade has pulled and torn the sword rather than a clean cut) A regular service interval for your mower should also be out in place.
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• If you are using an electric mower be extremely careful not to cut the flex.
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• Never fill your mower with fuel on the lawn itself. In the event of a spillage this will lead to the scorching of the grass plant and leave unsightly brown patches. Fill your mower on a hard surface that can be washed in the event of a spill.
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• Always try to mow your lawn whenever possible in dry conditions.
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• The mowing of your lawn whilst on a Greenfeet Treatment program need only take place once a week in the height of the growing season.

Watering

If your lawn is suffering from drought stress (yellow and brown patches), you can help rescue it by following a few simple steps:

• Keep off the lawn as much as possible as the grass will be dry and brittle and liable to break.
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• The first watering in the event of a drought should be carried out at first signs of stress on the grass plant IE slight browning of the leaf tips. Watering should be carried out are regular intervals IE once a day during dry spells to penetrate the water into the soil profile so it reaches the roots where it is most needed. Only a certain amount of water will be taken in by the foliage of the plant so it is important that the soil is soaked regularly to get sufficient water to the roots of the plant.
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• Watering should be done little and often rather than a large amount of water at any one time as it will only lead to water run off and negate the effect of the watering
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• Let up the height of our cut to (2.5”) and reduce mowing to every 3-4 weeks in pro longed periods of drought.
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• Ensure your local Greenfeet representative still comes to service your lawn so when the moisture finally returns the area will recover quicker.
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• Ideally, water the lawn early in the morning or during the late part of the day when evaporation is at its lowest.
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• Why not consider installing a water collection tank for this purpose and leave near a down pipe to catch excess rainwater.
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• An irrigation system would only be recommended on larger lawns where it would be necessary. Please speak to your local Greenfeet representative for advice and recommendations on this. The use of an impact sprinkler may also work for some larger lawns.  
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• In areas of water conservation the use of wetting agents can be beneficial to get the same job done and only use 50% of the water. Speak to your local Greenfeet operator for advice on whether our wetting agent product is appropriate
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• In pro longed periods of dry weather it is common to have hydrophobic layers in your soil which means water will not penetrate these areas and lead to myselium build up causing patches or disease such as fairy rings in your lawn. Please contact your Greenfeet representative to discuss the use of wetting agents on your lawn.

Shade

All trees and hedges should be trimmed on a regular basis to ensure light has access to all of your lawn. Shaded areas will encourage moss etc to grow resulting in your lawn not being in pristine condition all year around.
Typical problems associated with a shade environment compared to grass grown in full sun are:

•   Reduced light
•   Poorer quality of light
•   Reduced air movement
•   Higher relative humidity
•   Prolonged wetness following rainfall or irrigation
•   Cooler temperatures and reduced temperature fluctuations
•   Increased disease problems
•   Moss and algae growth
•   Competition between trees and grasses for plant nutrients
•   Competition for moisture, especially from shallow-rooted trees such as maple or beech

Symptoms

Common symptoms of shade grown turfs are:

•   Thin, narrow and elongated leaf blades
•   Reduced rates of leaf appearance
•   Reduced tillering
•   Poor wearing ability
•   Slow recovery after being damaged
•   Shallow, weak root system
•   More succulent turf

 
It is a good idea to rake leafs off your lawn as quickly as possible. You’ve probably heard that lawns, too, have to "breathe," and that they can be smothered if a thick layer of un-shredded leaves is left on top of them over the winter, causing problems. But a thick layer of fallen leaves can impede the growth of these grasses. Why? Because they can deprive the grass of one of the key elements I mentioned: sunlight. If not raked in time, a thick and/or matted layer of fallen leaves casts excessive shade over the grass below causing moss to grow again for the same reasons as mentioned above.