Monthly Lawn Care Tips

Now is the best time to lay turf!!

If you’re considering improving your garden, right now is one of the best times to do so. People are always asking, ‘Can I lay turf now?’ or ‘When is the best time to lay turf?’ The honest answer is that you can lay turf all year round. There are, however, more favourable conditions found at certain times of the year.

If you consider what turf needs to establish well, then you can easily see why now is the best time to lay turf. Once turf is laid it requires plenty of moisture in order to keep the grass going until the turf has put its roots down into the underlying soil. Turf also requires sufficient warmth to grow its roots into the underlying soil.

In winter, you have the benefit of lots of moisture to keep the turf wet until established, however the cold weather can reduce the rate of growth of the roots, meaning you may need to wait longer until you can use your new lawn. 

In summer the warmer weather gets the grass growing quickly and ensures the roots grow down into the soil over a short period of time allowing you to use you lawn quite soon after laying. The compromise is that summer is drier (or is meant to be) than the rest of the year, therefore irrigation is required until the grass has become established.

In both spring and autumn, the conditions are perfect for laying turf. There is plenty of rainfall to help with the irrigation and the temperatures ensure a good steady rate of establishment allowing you to use your lawn fairly soon after laying.

I know it seems daft to lay a new lawn in autumn as the time to use the garden is fast drawing to an end. However if you consider that the turf will be established and ready to use within about 2 weeks of laying, this gives you plenty of warm weather left to enjoy in your newly turfed garden. Also, having rejuvenated the garden and improved the drainage of the soil by doing the ground preparation before turfing, your lawn will remain useable right through winter, perfect for fireworks on bonfire night or new year's eve.

Take a look through our range of 4 turf types. Each turf mixture offers a different quality and is designed for use in your garden.

Laying lawn turf couldn’t be easier and all the information you need is available in Turfshop’s information pages – How To Lay Turf.

3rd June 2009

Controlled Release Fertilisers and the benefits they bring

What is the difference between normal fertiliser like the ones I see on TV and Turfshop’s Controlled Release Fertiliser?

Traditional Fertilisers have all the nitrogen available to the grass straight away.

Controlled Release Fertilisers are small pellets of nutrients that would normally be available to the grass straight away, but are instead coated in a hi-tech polymer coating which releases the nutrients gradually depending on weather conditions.

What difference does this make to my lawn?

Traditional lawn feeds make all their nutrients available to the grass in one go. Under the influence of precipitation, a large percentage of the nutrients leach away (approx. 30% of the nitrogen).The remaining nutrients cause the grass to grow quickly above ground in a sudden boost, creating a lot more mowing. As there is never a consistent level of nutrients, creating a consistent rate of growth, root development is minimal. Re-application is normally required after about 6 weeks.

Controlled Release Fertilisers are designed to release the exact nutrient levels required by the plant each day. Only a negligible amount of nutrient is lost through leaching (approx. 5% of the nitrogen). The grass grows at an even rate due to the constant and regular release of nutrients from the granule. Root development also benefits from more consistent nutrient levels, leaving an overall much healthier plant. Despite daily releases of nutrient the granule has sufficient to last up to 8-9 months depending on the particular fertiliser you choose.

Why do controlled release fertilisers cost more?

They don’t!!

If you were to order All-Round Controlled Release Fertiliser from Turfshop this would last you 4-5 months.

If you were to feed your lawn with a traditional fertiliser over the same length of time you would need to re-apply every 6 weeks. This is an additional 3.5 applications.

Baring in mind most fertilisers on the market are boxed in quantities sufficient for 100sq.m, less than half of what our Controlled Release Fertilisers will cover, the equivalent cost on average is approximately £45.10, DOUBLE the cost of the most expensive Controlled Release Fertiliser!!

So what are the real benefits?

Not only are Controlled Release Fertilisers better value, they have far more benefits, only needing to apply once, not having to mow more regularly after application, having a more consistent lawn and most importantly having a healthier lawn.  

So it is clear to see that there is only one choice to make when choosing the best lawn feed for you and your garden!!

There's Still Time To Kill Leatherjackets!!

There are still about two weeks left to get rid of Leatherjackets (Crane Fly / Daddy longlegs -larvea).

At this time of year Leatherjackets are eating away at the roots of your grass and encouraging birds to come and peck up your lawn to eat them.

Treat Leatherjackets now with our Leatherjacket Killer. Leatherjacket Killer contains nematodes - microscopic naturally occuring worm-like organisms which 'swim' through damp soil and attack Leatherjackets by entering them through natural openings.

Safe for the environment, as well as animals and humans, and unlike other products on the market, our Leatherjacket Killer also has no effect on bees, which are suffering enough as it is at the moment.

Treat your lawn now with double the dose of Leatherjacket Killer. At this stage in their lives Leatherjackets have formed quite thick skins which will reduce the nematode's ability to attack the Leatherjackets. By applying a double dose of Leatherjacket Killer you will have a much higher success rate.