Eleanor Clarke
GARDEN DESIGN
A Lawn Lover's Guide to Lushness
A lush green lawn is a beautiful thing indeed. A place to lie and contemplate, run our fingers through the soft, sweet-smelling sward, and listen to the buzz of the bees. It’s vital for the planet too: around 27% of it is covered in grass, every blade pumping out oxygen as it grows. We’d be in deep trouble without our lawns and meadows.
We’re often asked about lawns at The Nunhead Gardener. Why are they patchy? Why won’t they grow? Why are they mossy? Why can’t I get that lovely lush look? The questions are many and varied, but the answer to the majority of them usually has something to do with one or more of three factors: light levels, soil type and compaction.
The Essentials for Good Growth
A lawn needs four things to grow: sunlight, water, nutrition and oxygen. If yours is patchy, it’s probably lacking at least one of these essentials. Many London gardens are small and partially shaded, so sunlight is a huge factor and not one that’s easily controlled. If you have overhanging shrubs or trees, consider pruning them or raising their canopy by removing the lower branches (as long as they’re yours, of course; if they belong to your neighbours, you’ll have to involve them in any pruning exercises – don’t just go lopping off overhanging branches without asking them first).
A compacted lawn is a bare lawn
Another lawn problem common in many small gardens is compaction. If the space is small and well used, a summer of ball-kicking, lounging, cartwheeling and yoga can quickly take its toll. Most London soil is clay, too, which only compounds the problem, becoming wet, sticky and waterlogged over winter, then drying out quickly in summer to a hard, impenetrable crust. And remember a stressed lawn is more likely to be invaded by weeds and moss. If any of this rings any bells, try aerating it, which involves removing plugs of soil from the lawn allowing air and water to get to the roots of your grass and for water to drain more efficiently. It also cuts through the grass stolons, encouraging thicker, denser growth. You can hire an electric aerator (worth it perhaps if you have a large lawn), buy a manual aerator or, to get a similar effect, go over your lawn in spring with a garden fork, penetrating deep into the soil every 30cm and wiggling it about to create air holes. You can brush some sharp sand into the holes, if you like, then sprinkle a little lawn seed over any bare patches in spring or autumn.
Photo – Martin Martz
Feed and weed
If you’ve never fed your lawn, spring is a good time to do it, as new growth is beginning for the year. You can buy granular lawn feed that you sprinkle on and water in, or liquid that you add to a watering can. Granular feed tends to last longer, but liquid is quick and easy, especially if your lawn is small.
If your lawn contains weeds such as dandelions, daisies, clover and creeping buttercup, first decide on your tolerance levels. We’re very much of the opinion that a bit of clover and a few daisies are a fabulous addition to a lawn. Although we’re on the fence about dandelions (a few maybe, but we don’t want them taking over). Either way, there’s no need to get out the chemicals – just get to it with a special weeding tool or a kitchen fork. Creeping buttercup can come to dominate in a damp, partially shaded lawn, so it’s probably best kept under control.
To grow or not to grow?
There’s a lot to be said for no-mow May. It’s lovely to see the grass grow long, watch the dandelions, buttercups and daisies flower and see the effect this has on pollinator such as butterflies and bees. It also creates wildlife corridors, supporting a much wider range of insects than a close-cropped lawn. If you have the space, do it (mow an undulating path through it if you need to – it will look lovely). Or dedicate just a small patch to a longer, looser look – either during May or for most of the year (even a dedicated wildflower meadow needs cutting down once a year, in early autumn).
But if you’re not up for a longer lawn, commit fully. There’s no advantage to the shaggy look when it comes to grass; in fact, the more you mow your lawn, the stronger and lusher it will become. This is because grass plants send shoots out sideways, tillering outwards and if you cut, they’ll come back harder, sending out more sideshoots to compensate. So once you start mowing your lawn in March or April, keep doing it all summer and well into autumn, once a week in spring, a little less frequently if/when water’s scarce in July and August (see below). A regular mowing regime also keeps weeds under control.
Dealing with drought
A question we often get asked over summer is what to do about lawns that are dry and yellowing, possibly even dead. Our answer is always the same: very little. Grass is a super-tough plant with deep roots, and although it might look totally lifeless, it will recover once there’s a good downpour. So be patient, don’t mow, and just accept that your lawn may not look it’s green and gorgeous best in the height of summer; it’s really not worth wasting water on.
One of the best ‘solutions’ to an imperfect lawn, however, is pragmatism. Accept that your lawn doesn’t need to be bowling-green perfect and make the best of it. Bed in a flight of stepping stones if you’re constantly wearing a path through it from the house to the compost bin. Plant mind your own business (soleirolia soleirolii) in the shadier patches and it’ll spread to create a lush, bouncy groundcover filling in the gaps in the lawn where the sun rarely reaches.m;
Most of all, remember there are no rules to the ‘perfect’ lawn. Enjoy yours this spring and summer, however green and lush it may be.
Read more:
OUTDOOR PLANTS
