Sort That Lawn

Lawn care is one of the dullest and most dispiriting things we have to do in the garden.

I know there are those – men mostly – who take vigorous pride in their perfect green sward, but most of us find the whole lawn business, from mowing through to scarifying, a real drag.

However, now is the time of year to get on with it and you will be rewarded in horticultural heaven.

First, rake to get rid of the surface thatch and debris. This is autumn so the debris in the form of falling leaves will keep on coming for a few weeks – so keep on raking. It is very good exercise so you can feel doubly virtuous while you are doing it.

Aeration also helps so dig in a fork all over the lawn to make holes right across its surface.

Then, for the real lawn enthusiast, now is the time to top dress the lawn. This involves spreading a mixture of good loam and sand across the area and brushing it in. It will improve the drainage and the vigour of the grass. It also helps to fill in minor hollows.

There are those who douse their lawns with weed-killers, but I don’t do that. I would rather have weeds.

However, I do dig out plantains and dandelions and repair the bare patches they leave behind at this time of year.

I can’t pretend I do it with much enthusiasm, but it all helps.

The invasive ground cover weeds like clover and selfheal – Prunella vulgaris – with its dark green leaves and purple flowers, I ignore.

Only a serious digging-over or a liberal application of poison would get rid of them and in my view, life is too short.

Almost more annoying than the weeds are the conspicuous grasses which grow faster and more coarsely than the rest and make the lawn look untidy just a couple of days after mowing.

A lawn weed-killer won’t touch them either because it will only knock out the broad leaved weeds.

Make your own decisions on these matters. It is your lawn and if you can live with its eccentricities, that is fine.

As long as there is plenty of green growth – whether weed or grass – then mowing it and trimming the edges will make it look pretty smart – particularly from a few feet away.

Autumn is also the time to feed the lawn with a balanced fertiliser.

In spring you use a nitrogen-rich feed but now you must use an autumn product designed to take the lawn into winter.

Damage repair works well at this time of year as the ground is warm enough for grass seed to take well.

And try to enjoy it. At least the warm autumn weather is helping to make hard labour a pleasure.