Lawn Care

Lawn Care

Is there anyone in Ireland that has a perfect lawn? I doubt it. It would take hours to create the perfect green space without rushes, moss, thatch or weeds.

My step dad tried for years to get a grass sward in his back garden so smooth that you could play snooker on it. He would be out there everyday with his penknife taking out weed seedlings and threatening earthworms for making casts. He was very particular in general. He once took the whole car to bits because of a rogue squeaking noise coming from the dashboard. He never found the source of the noise and it took weeks to put the car back together again. He never managed the perfect lawn either. Our two female dogs made sure of that with their acidic urine.

Thankfully for our nerves, most of us make do with the lawns we have and give them an odd feed and cut the tufty bits down when we get chance. As the grass is growing quickly now, let’s have a look at some ways to keep the grass healthy without becoming too obsessed (I did cut mine twice this week though. Where’s my penknife?)

Turf or Seed?
If you are laying a new lawn, April to May is a great time to be sowing grass seed. It's best to keep off the seedlings until this first cut so you don't trample and break the baby blades of grass. By the mid summer you should have a respectable lawn.
Turf is quicker but much more expensive and requires equally good soil preparation and lots of watering to help it settle in and grow. Try to keep the footballing kids and digging dogs off for the first few weeks. If you mow keep the cutting height up on the mower.

Maintaining the lawn

Feeding
Feeding properly with an organic lawn fertiliser will make grass greener and thicker. This also helps resist weeds and moss. Overfeeding can have really negative effects on the grass though as it increases the chance of disease because of the fast growth. It could mean cutting it more often too.
Filling hollows
If your lawn has a sunken patch, repair by making an H-shaped spade cut across it with a half-moon edging tool and then peel back the two flaps of turf over the hollow. Add some topsoil, level and firm down the flaps. Fill in the gaps left by the cuts with more topsoil.
Removing weeds
Learn to tolerate a few weeds in the lawn or you will be out every day pulling them up, but if small patches or single weeds need to be removed, pull up by hand with the help of a fork. This helps to get the deeper roots of perennial weeds out.
Surviving dry weather
During long dry spells, mow less frequently, let grass grow longer and resist the urge to use summer feeds that make lots of new growth. Don’t worry if the lawn goes brown this summer, it will recover in autumn.

Worn areas
If part of the lawn is used regularly as a path, prevent it from becoming worn away by laying stepping-stones. Dig out paving-slab slices of turf and set these just beneath the surface of the lawn so a lawn mower can pass over them safely. Try to keep off the grass if there are any late frosts.

Trimming edges
Tidying lawn edges keeps the grass looking neat and prevents it from spreading into borders. After mowing, trim any grass that overhangs the edges with long-handled edging shears or a rotary trimmer.

Repairing edges
Parts of an edge that have been severely damaged are easy to repair. Use a spade to slice through the turf, cutting out a small rectangular piece from around the damaged area. Lift from the ground with the spade and turn it around, so the damaged part now faces the lawn. Press down firmly and fill the damaged area with compost. Sow grass seed over the compost and water.

Bare patches
Bare patches attract weeds, so re-sow them now. Fork the soil to break it up, then firm and level it before applying an appropriate grass seed. Cover with fleece or polythene to keep the birds off and water regularly. Another method for covering bare patches is to use a strip of lawn from a rich growing area to patch the bare area (you'll need to re-sow the area where it came from).
Coping with moss
Show me a lawn in Inishowen that doesn’t have moss in it and I will be amazed. There is a tendency to scalp the grass to get rid of the moss but this isn’t really a good idea. Close cropping weakens the grass sward and gives the moss more room to grow. Correcting the drainage is the way to go but if this isn't possible give the lawn a dose of sulphate of iron. This will burn off the unwanted moss. It can then be raked out.

Clippings
Leave grass clippings on the lawn as they rot down and release up to 30 per cent of the lawn's required nutrients. Remove the clippings from the lawn at the beginning and end of the growing season when decomposition is slow and compost them either in your bin or a separate area set aside. Mix with plenty of coarse twigs or cardboard and paper, turning occasionally to let the air in.

Compaction and thatch build up
If your soil is compacted, fork over the area and brush some sharp sand into the holes to aerate it. If there is a large area to treat you could consider going mechanical. The hire companies have tools to cope with large areas of both moss removal and the build up of thatch, (dead matter) which can restrict growth.

Wearing well

Organic chicken manure. Dual-purpose food, both for the soil and the dog.

I’m out in the garden looking at the raised beds today. These planks of wood stuck into the wet ground for the last five years are wearing extremely well. They have been moved a few times, unceremoniously thrown onto the back of trailers, but have held both themselves together and the soil inside them. We have noticed a real lack of worm activity in our soil this year; maybe they are hiding deeper as it seems pretty dry at the moment. The compost bin seem to be void of our slimy friends too, hopefully the numbers should increase soon with the warmer weather.

KEEPING THE WEEDS DOWN
I have been putting weed-suppressing webbing down on one of the beds. We were given some red onions a few weeks ago and although we said we were only going to be growing vegetables that grow upwards this year, we thought a few salad onions would be useful. I made a few small holes in the webbing then pushed the baby onions into these. The sprouting bulbs will hopefully push their way out to the light, leaving us free of weeding for the season. As they grow I am sure we can make good use of the space in between the onions by planting broccoli and kale. To clear the bed completely I pulled up some old leeks as they were tiny and aren’t doing anything as they were left too long last season before being transplanted. Still they were pretty tasty in a soup with the last of the brussel tops and a few rogue spuds that had been left in the ground over the winter. There are even see some old parsnips surviving even after the soil has been turned. I dug a few up to check them out and added them to a stew. I had to cut off quite a bit of rust though.

GETTING STUCK IN
Before putting the webbing over the onion bed I forked in loads of organic chicken pellets. Unfortunately the new dog seems to be rather fond of them and as I pushed the fabric down around the bed, she was scratching and digging the webbing up and chewing on the hard smelly nuggets. The only solution is to get the pepper out and sprinkle it everywhere. This sounds a bit cruel, but it is doing a good job stopping her sitting in the plant pots and also stopping her eating through the internet cable outside the front door. I just have to remember to sprinkle more down after it rains.

I’ve never had a dog like this one for eating things. Only last week she was leaving us deposits that contained half a roll of silver foil, which would no doubt been more uncomfortable for her as it was inconvenient for us to tidy up after her. The other day she also got through nearly a jumbo bag of guinea pig food that she had managed to push onto the floor in the garage. Not wanting to go into too much detail but we were left with messes in the kitchen that resembled Muckish, Sleeve Sneacht and Mount Errigal complete with small seeds that resembled the rocks and topped off with the remains of the silver foil to give a look of the last of the snow. Not very pleasant, especially for Julie as she was the one that cleared it up.

CLEARING THE SHED
My other job earlier today was to clear out the shed. Where on earth does all of the rubbish come? I found ten pairs of Wellingtons in sizes none of us are, old mouldy spuds, leaky fishtanks, old cardboard and everything else that hasn’t had it’s own place over the long winter. I have also been finding my precious tools scattered around the place too. I am one of those people that enjoy seeing the painted silhouette of tools on the wall like in a mechanics garage complete with a hook to hang them from. It shows you at a glance if something hasn’t been put back. I haven’t got around to doing that just yet, so when I need my secatuers, it usually takes me a while to track them down.

No one takes the credit for moving the tools around of course, so it’s obviously the new dog that’s responsible. She gets the blame for everything. There was a day over the Easter holidays when the dog managed to get one of the lad’s large chocolate eggs out of the box in the front room. It then proceeded to open the gold foil around the egg and scrunch it up into a small ball then eat all of the chocolate, leaving not a speck on the floor. I got the blame of course, but I know it’s a personal battle between us to be top dog.

April at the Organic Centre in Rossinver

CORDIALS AND WINES FROM THE COUNTRY

There was a time when most people knew about the plants in the hedgerows. Not necessarily their botanical names as a lot of these plants would have had different local names depending on which part of the country you were from. People would look upon the plants as a natural outdoor chemist where they could get a cure for most ailments and a pick me up tonic for any time of the year.

Depending on the time of year these wild plants emit a unique fragrance that is as powerful as any photographic image for recalling times walking and playing in the country. They can induce a clean, protective feeling that stays with you forever. Some of these beautiful plants that bring the feeling of the country to your nose can be made into drinks, which are perfect for helping you keep cool in the summer and give a warming effect in the winter. Even now, most of these fabulous drinks are not available in the shops, so the pleasure is also on the picking.

Plants from the wild can be cultivated in the garden by replicating their environment but it’s very hard to improve on the plants own choice of soil. Therefore I would suggest that if you are picking the flowers, roots or leaves, to get them from places where they have self- set away from pollution and roads. Only take from areas with permission though, you don’t want to get chased off by an angry landowner.

Gathering

Choose a dry, sunny day. Not too early or too late. The leaves and flowers will dry better and be less susceptible to damage if the dew has gone from them. Roots on the other hand can be pulled up better after a drop of rain as this make the soil looser.

Pick for the Future

Remember that if a plant is stripped of it’s leaves, seeds, flowers or roots, it will not survive to give you more goodies the following year. Only take small amounts from the plants, leaving them to flourish for future generations.

Drying

If you are not using the plant parts straight away, they can be stored in airtight containers after drying. Spread out your picked leaves or flowers onto newspapers then place in a well ventilated area and turned regularly. When the leaves or flowers are dry they can be easily stripped from their stalks and put straight into glass jars for storage.

Wines

Some flowers are perfect for making into wines. Agrimony, which grows on wasteland makes a very good wine, so does wild barley, clover, dandelion, gooseberry, honeysuckle, lime flower, meadowsweet, nettle, raspberry, rose hip and tansy. Wine can be made from anything really, but the difference is with these wild plant wines is that they are delicious and don’t tend to blow up in the wardrobe like the ones I made from Trebor Mints when I was a teenager.

Nettles

One of my personal favourites, the nettle, is perfect for making a hearty soup in spring and gives us loads of goodness. Tasting similar to spinach when cooked, it gives up vitamin A,C, D, iron, potassium, manganese and calcium. Stinging nettle tea, on the other hand also helps to break down arthritis crystals and gout, has anti allergy properties against hay fever and asthma, helps to reduce eczema, shrinks enlarged prostrates and haemorrhoids, increases breast milk production and helps reduce heavy menstrual bleeding, which isn’t bad for a plant you see growing at the bottom of the garden.


Gorse

Gorse is lovely, and abundant here. There’s a saying about the plant too “When gorse is out of bloom, kissing is out of season.” You’ll be pleased to know that gorse around here seems to flower all year. You will need to be very patient when picking the flowers though as gorse is very prickly. Gorse is seen as the poor relation to broom, which is said to have greater medicinal properties, but it does still have a multitude of uses. It has been used as fuel (you will know it burns well when the hills catch fire). The ashes can be mixed with clay and used as a substitute for soap. The crushed shrub has been used to feed cattle and makes for good milk. The shrub can also make an extremely effective hedge when closely cut. Back to the wine. With the price of alcohol rising in the shops, you could save money by making your own booze…

Here’s an old recipe for gorse wine.
1 Gallon of gorse flowers
2.5 lb sugar
2 oranges
2 lemons
1 gallon of water
Yeast. (Fresh yeast from the bakers if you can get it) or from a packet.

Boil the flowers in the water for 15 minutes. Strain through a flannel bag and add water to make up to the 1 gallon. Dissolve the sugar in the liquid and add the lemon and orange peel (removing the pith) and the juice. When this is lukewarm add the yeast, (fresh yeast can be spread over a slice of bread then placed in the bucket). Leave for three days in a warm place, stirring occasionally. Strain into a fermenting jar -fit an air lock to stop it blowing up (you live and learn) and leave until fermentation has stopped and the wine is clear. Siphon off into sterile bottles and cork. The wine will be ready for drinking after a few weeks, but like a lot of things, they can mature for the better with age.

QUIZ

Quiz Time

This week I’ve put together the Gardening Matters quiz, the perfect antidote to a cold and wet day. So, have a look out of the window and if it’s too rough to venture out to the veggie patch, grab yourself a drink, a sticky bun and see how many of these questions you can answer correctly. There are no prizes but it may just take your mind off the weather for a few minutes.

1) What would a gardener do with a dibber?
a) Scrape mud off spades and trowels
b) Make holes in compost from transplanting seedlings
c) Make flailing hand gestures to neighbours

2) What general term is given to the trees and shrubs whose leaves fall in autumn?

a) Deciduous
b) Evergreen
c) Ambidextrous

3) Why do gardeners practice crop rotation?

a) To grow bigger vegetables and impress their friends
b) To make the garden look pretty
c) To help prevent a build up of pests and diseases in the soil

4) Which part of a tree can be used to make cork?

a) The bark
b) Root tissue
c) Pulped seeds
5) The love apple is the original name for what?

a) Potato
b) Tomato
c) Quince

6) Name the evergreen hedging conifer that has created many a neighbourly dispute?

a) Leylandi
b) Escallonia
c) Oleria

7) Why would you cover carrots with horticultural fleece?

a) To keep them warm in winter
b) To stop them being attacked by carrot root fly
c) To hide them from the dogs


8) What is the name given to the female reproductive organ of a flower?
a) Pistol
b) Pistil
c) Pissedup

9) Which cereal must be grown in water?

a) corn
b) rice
c) wheat
10) How can you tell the age of a tree?

a) Measure the height and divide by two
b) Count the rings
c) Ask the garden centre staff

11) What is a sweet drink for bees?
a) Nectar
b) Honey
c) Morning dew

12) This hairy plant has a sting
a) Nettle
b) Ceonothus
c) Mint 13) What age is the oldest plant fossil found?

a) 20 million years
b) 120 million years
c) 150 million years
14) What are peanuts?

a) Fruit
b) Root
c) Beans
15) Name the popular type of goldfish found in ornamental garden ponds.

a) Kevin
b) Cod
c) Koi

16) A beer trap can help control what type of pest?

a) Slugs
b) Greenfly
c) An errant teenager

17) What special attribute makes lavender ideal for dry conditions?

a) Nice smell
b) Small leaves
c) Pretty colour

18) What is the name for sculpting hedges?

a) Tapestry
b) Tomfoolery
c) Topiary
19) Kale, Cauliflowers, Brussel Sprouts are all what type of vegetable?

a) Brassicas
b) Ornamental
c) Carniverous

20) What is a Shepherds Purse?

a) A sheep farmer’s wallet
b) A weed
c) A pretty annual flower

21) What type of plants can be found in a rock garden?

a) Oxygenating plants
b) Alpines
c) Herbs


Answers :

1b, 2a, 3c, 4a, 5b, 6a, 7b, 8b, 9b, 10b, 11a, 12a, 13b, 14c, 15c, 16a, 17b, 18c, 19a, 20b, 21b.

How did you do?

1-10. Looks like you need to spend a bit more time in the garden. Get those boots on now!
11-15. You are a real all rounder with knowledge to spare. You know your rhizomes from your corms.
16-20. Like soil, you have hidden depths, use your knowledge wisely and spread the word about the wonders of the garden
21. Congratulations! We will soon be seeing you on Gardener’s World