LAWN & ORDER
I’m a lawn expert – I’ve cracked the code to healthy grass, and £1.80 buy is key to killing pesky moss
Neil has a simple three-step guide and begs people not to ignore his third tip
WITH the weather finally starting to get warmer, it won't be long until you're be sunbathing in the garden or eating at your patio table.
So it might be time to start thinking about sprucing up your lawn - starting with the grass and moss.
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Neil White, from Perthshire, has worked in horticulture as a landscape gardener and in a tree nursery.
Writing in Scotland Grows Magazine, he said he's "cracked the code" to an awesome looking lawn with minimal effort.
In his simple three-step guide, he says regular cutting is key to great grass.
He revealed: "I live in central Scotland where it’s fairly mild and wet, so my grass grows faster than a BMW driver stealing your parking spot.
"I’ll cut at least once a week or even every 5 days if necessary. The trick is not to overdo it; cutting your grass too short can cause scalping or scorching.
"This is when the vulnerable grass underneath the main lawn is exposed and goes yellow. This not only looks bad, it also opens your grass up to disease."
Neil also said that keen gardeners should make sure that they regularly water their lawn.
So once, if at all, we get to the point that it hasn't rained in a week then you should get the hose pipe out to "give your grass a good soaking".
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The final step in Neil's lawn guide states that you should make sure you regularly feed your grass and kill moss.
"Feeding and moss kill is probably the most neglected aspect of lawn care", the dad of three said.
I’m a gardening whizz, I transformed my patchy lawn in just six seconds with one bargain buy
And his key buy to keep your lawn healthy in spring is lawn sand which can be picked up for as little as £1.80 for a 1.5kg bag.
If you're looking to stock up in bulk though, a 25kg bag will set you back around £19.
Neil said: "Don’t be fooled – this ain’t sand. It’s ferrous sulphate mixed with sand as a bulking agent.
"It performs two functions. Firstly, it will BURN TO A CRISP any broadleaved weeds or moss that may be lurking on your otherwise manicured green carpet.
"As long as it’s applied properly it won’t affect the grass itself."
He added: "When ferrous sulphate is mixed with water, it turns to weak sulphuric acid. This acidifies the soil which makes your grass greener.
"This acidification controls some pests including leather jackets (crane fly larva, not the local biker gang)."
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