Summer Lawn Care

Summer Lawn Care Tips

Start the summer season off properly with our Summer Lawn Care tips:

Mowing

Ensure health and growth in your turf by raising the mower blades at cutting high and frequently. We recommend that your lawn should be approximately 5cm high during the summer months.

If you haven’t done so already, now is the time to sharpen your mower blades to get a cleaner cut.

Feeding

If your turf is growing strongly, you should keep feeding it. It is recommended that you use a spring-summer lawn feed solution and apply it every 6 weeks until the end of August.

Weeding

The summer months is the time of the year when weeds are most prominent in your lawn, grass will often turn brown whereas weeds will remain green and vibrant. Now that they are visible, remove them and throw them away.

Watering

Despite the common belief, watering in the heat of the sun will cause it to evaporate meaning that none will reach the roots. The best way to make sure that your turf stays green is to let it grow longer and cut high and often.

Rotate Garden Furniture

The summer period is when your lawn will most likely be used the most for sports, barbecues and visitors for example. Leaving furniture on your lawn turf for more than a day or two will begin to cause discolouration and therefore we recommend rotating the location of your furniture to make sure that your garden isn’t damaged in the process.

Here at Ivinghoe Turf we have been growing and supplying quality garden turf for over 30 years. From our location in Ivinghoe, Buckinghamshire, we are easily accessible from all areas of Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire for all of your turfing needs. Our very own fleet of transport lorries also allows us to deliver your turf straight to your door.

Posted in Turf Tips | Leave a comment

New Turf Care Tips

With the improvement in weather conditions many of you will be thinking about purchasing brand new turf to brighten up your garden for the summer months. If you have just laid some new turf or are in the process of looking into it here are some tips to help you along the way:

Water Your Lawn Well

Once your new lawn has been laid it needs to be watered well, even more so in hotter conditions. The very first time you water your new lawn turf is one of the most important ones as the water needs to soak through to the ground below.

You should be watering your new turf daily after it has first been laid for the first week or two. If the weather conditions are very warm, it is recommended that you water your lawn either early in the morning or later in the evening to prevent any evaporating.

Over Watering Can Cause Issues

Be careful not to over water your garden turf as this can encourage lawn disease. In order to check the condition of your turf, carefully lift up the side and check the underside – it should be moist and dark but not sopping wet.

Make sure that you do not walk across your new lawn until it has had a chance to properly bed into the soil, this process will normally take a few weeks however if your turf is laid on a sloped surface it can take up to six weeks.

Set Your Mower to a High Setting

You should wait a few weeks before mowing your new turf. Set your mower on one of the highest cutting settings when cutting for best results and to prevent any weed or moss growth as well as potential disease.

Turf Care Tips

Here at Ivinghoe Turf we have been producing and supplying high quality garden turf for over three decades. From our Buckinghamshire location we have been growing a selection of seed mixes and have built up a strong reputation as one of the most reliable turf suppliers in the area.

Posted in Turf Tips | Leave a comment

March Lawn Care

For many March is the start of the lawn year, however it is still a bit too early for many maintenance jobs so start with aeration and moss killing procedures.

Beware of the weather

Although March can produce very mild temperatures, frosts are very common and a few weeks of mild weather are often followed by a cold spell with frost. It is for this reason that various jobs should be left until spring is in full swing.

Mower Maintenance

If you have not already sharpened your mower this is the last chance to do so before mower servicing shops becomes busy and will leave you without your mower for a week or two. If you own a petrol lawnmower you can change the spark plug and oil as well as cleaning the air filter and sharpening the blade to maintain a high level of performance.

Fertilising your Lawn

services02_mid

March is not necessarily the start of your fertilising schedule as the weather can still turn extremely cold at times. For most parts of the UK, April is the time to start feeding however the Southern half of the country may benefit from an early fertiliser application.

Lawn Replacement and Repairs

Once again ensure that conditions are not too wet or soft before doing lawn work. Whilst the surface is firm it is a good idea to recut the edges plus replacing any damaged areas with new sections of turf. If a brand new lawn is in your plans, March is a great time to make a start and lay your new turf and our turf can be ordered online using our website.

Here at Ivinghoe Turf we are lawn turf experts. We have been growing and supplying high quality garden turf to Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire as well as further afield for over three decades. Our turf range is available in several seed mixes to ensure that we have the right turf for you, whether you require a hard-wearing mix or one with rapid recovery our range is designed to suit all of your needs.

Posted in Turf Tips | Leave a comment

How to Repair a Waterlogged Lawn

Effects of Waterlogging

Although in the Winter turf can withstand wetter conditions than in the Summer, water sitting on the surface of a lawn will have damaging effects no matter the time of year. Compaction stifles air and water flow to the roots leaving the turf yellow and patchy. Damp conditions also encourage the unwanted growth of algae, lichens and moss on your lawn turf.

Aerate Your Waterlogged Lawn

Three Steps to Repair Your Garden Turf

  1. Let your lawn drain – Avoid walking or treating your turf in any way until most of the water has finally drained away. if draining only takes a short amount of time of a couple of days, your turf is repairable, otherwise it will be most likely need replacing or reseeding.

  2. Aerate the roots – Aeration can be done either using a manual hollow tine aerator which makes small holes over your garden or a powered hollow tine aerator which will leave plugs of soil on the surface which should be removed. Holes can then be filled with topdressing soil or sand to improve future drainage.

  3. Feed your lawn – As the temperature starts to warm up, you can now begin to feed the lawn with fertiliser. This process will indicate any areas which might need replacing or reseeding.

Future Flood Prevention

If you live in an area which is susceptible to heavy rainfall, it is a very good idea to aerate your lawn and use a high quality topsoil to minimise flooding. It is also recommended that you level off any areas which frequently have drainage problems to prevent water from collecting in a single area.

Here at Ivinghoe Turf, we have been growing and supplying high quality garden turf to our customers across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire. We are able to deliver turf straight to your door using our very own transport and trusted couriers for locations further afield. For more information or advice on your needs contact us today.

Posted in Turf Tips | Leave a comment

Look After Your Garden Tools

How to Get the Best Performance From Your Garden Tools

Unlike what many think, very often it is not the cost or quality of your tools which makes a big difference, it’s how you look after them. It is therefore essential that you keep them both clean and sharp. Your mower, shears and edging tools need to make clean cuts each time to ensure your turf stays tidy and healthy.

Clean Your Mower Regularly

Clean Your Mower Regularly

How Often Should You Sharpen Mower Blades

This all depends on usage, if you frequently use your mower then you should ideally be sharpening your blades after every use during the cutting season to ensure they work safely and efficiently. If the mower blades are not sharpened regularly there will soon be evidence of ripping rather than clean cutting in the form of yellow grass, thinning grass and more moss and weeds in your lawn turf.

Clean Your Garden Tools After Usage

Avoid leaving your garden tools dirty after using them as dried mud and grass clippings will make them stiff and inefficient to use. Not only does this make your gardening more time consuming and difficult, it is also dangerous, as stiff tools require more pressure and can easily cause cuts and damage to you or your tools.

Clean Your Tools After Usage

Clean Your Tools After Usage

Winter Maintenance

Many people see winter as a time to put their tools away in the shed and not look at them again until the Spring. Winter however provides the perfect opportunity to both clean and repair any tools to get them back to top condition as mowing should be kept to a minimum.

Here at Ivinghoe Turf, we have been growing high quality garden turf for over three decades, allowing us to develop an excellent knowledge on how to grow and preserve healthy turf. See our lawn care guide for any assistance for maintaining your lawn turf.

Posted in Turf Tips | Leave a comment

Work On Your Turf Now Saves Time During Spring

With the weather conditions being unpredictable in spring due to lots of rainfall, therefore doing this work in Autumn instead is often preferred.

Ensure Fallen Leaves are Raked

Ensure Fallen Leaves are Raked

Seeding – If you seed your lawn turf now, do a dormant seeding after November 1st. Soften the dirt before adding a fair amount of seed to the bare areas of the lawn. Next, blanket the area with a layer of topsoil and then cover it with straw or another dominate seeding material.

Aeration – This helps with root development and water drainage and also breaks down any thatch which may have built up on the surface. This process will produce a richer soil in the spring. This should be done between mid-September to early November assuming your turf is moist.

Fertilising – Fertilise your garden turf around Halloween using a slow release fertiliser, it may be too late for weed control should there have been overnight frosting.

Watering – After mid-September you should have stopped worrying about watering your lawn. If you do water it, you are encouraging it to grow which could cause issues in the spring season.

Mowing – Mow the lawn at a level of between 2 and 3 inches before your first estimated snowfall. Cutting your grass too short may produce problems in the spring and summer.

Leaves – Ensure that fallen leaves are raked to avoid diseases such as snow mold, this occurs when leaves are left unattended and become wet, thus smothering your lawn turf.

Here at Ivinghoe Turf we have been supplying garden turf to our customers across Herfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire for over three decades. Through continuous development of our home grown turf we have been able to meet the high standards set by the Turfgrass Growers Association (TGA) allowing us to ensure that you will only receive the best possible turf we are able to provide. Using our website you can easily order turf online and have it delivered to your door.

Posted in Turf Tips | Leave a comment

Autumn Lawn Care

From now until late November, autumn feeds, high in phosphates, should be used to encourage strong roots. Autumn lawn food thickens the lawn, inhibiting moss or weeds whilst improving the colour of the grass.

If drainage is a problem, this can be improved by spiking the turf with a digging fork or lawn spiker. A hollow tyne can also be used to remove cores of soil which can then be replaced with a 50/50 mix of grit and sterilised topsoil. Improving garden turf drainage curtails the growth of moss, thus producing better growing conditions.

Forking Turf

Forking Turf

Here at Ivinghoe Turf, we source and supply top grade loam and screened topsoil. Topsoil is the uppermost layer of soil, usually the top 5cm. It has the highest concentration of organic matter and is extremely beneficial for the successful establishment of garden turf. You can buy turf and topsoil online through our website.

Posted in Turf Tips | Leave a comment

Which makes the best lawn: turf or seed?

Often a question asked by customers, when refining their gardens, but which method works the best?

Which? Gardening took two identical areas which had previously been set up as “small gardens”, with each featuring a central path and surrounding hedges. The soil in both gardens was then cleared and prepared, one was seeded and the other turfed.

Laying turf

Turf looks good straight away

Turf looks good straight away

Pros: Once it has been laid, watered and tidied turf looks good straight away and you can use it after a week or so.

Cons: More expensive. Rolls of turf are also fairly heavy and awkward to use and is more labour intensive than seed.

Sowing Seed

Seed is quick to sow

Seed is quick to sow

Pros: A much cheaper option and once the ground has been prepared, it is quick and easy to sow, roughly 10 minutes in total.

Against: It takes approximately six weeks and several cuts before any progress is seen. The area will have to be netted to prevent the local wildlife from eating the seed. It is also much easier for weeds to invade the area than when turf was used as there were a few bare patches.

Verdict

Turf is the easiest and quickest option available and will produce the best results. For larger areas seeding is a cheaper option, however it will be a lot longer before you can use it.

Here at Ivinghoe Turf, we have over 30 years of experience of growing turf in our own fields in Ivinghoe, Buckinghamshire. We deliver across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire as well as further afield. Our turf and seed are available to buy online or contact our customer advisory team who will be more than happy to assist with your enquiry.

Posted in Turf Tips | Leave a comment

The Pros of Turf

When people decide that they want to make their garden look a little greener there are some choices that they need to make and a decision that some struggle with is whether to use turf or grass seed.

There are benefits to both but one of the best things about using turf is that it is a quick fix, it can transform your garden almost immediately and the results are visually pleasing. Grass seed takes a lot longer to grow and therefore the process of achieving your new garden will be delayed.

Laying turf is a lot less dependent on the British weather which means there is a larger time window in which you can lay your turf as it can be laid in cooler temperatures. One issue with grass seed is that when caught in heavy rain the seed will end up being washed off the slopes of your garden. Turf is much less likely to become infected by weeds and it will not be damaged by birds or cats scratching up the lawn.

Both methoThe Pros of Turfds require an amount of work but growing your lawn from seed will require a greater amount of time and patience. Seeded lawns are more susceptible to disease and are more likely to come up patchy. If you are looking for a smooth, even finish for your garden try turf.

To get an instant turf quote please click here or to find out how much turf you will need try using our turf calculator.

As well as turf we also source and supply high quality top grade loam and screened topsoil. Topsoil is the uppermost layer of soil directly underneath turf and allows turf to bury its roots within to gain essential nutrients in the topsoil to allow turf to thrive. You can order topsoil online and have it delivered with your turf or collect it direct from us in Ivinghoe, Buckinghamshire.

Posted in Turf Tips | Leave a comment

Common Turf Diseases

There are a number of diseases that can creep into our garden turf. Here we have compiled a short list to help you identify any prominent turf diseases:

Brown Patch As the name suggests brown patch appears in circular patches in a brownish yellow colour and can range from as little as six inches to several feet in diameter. In particular it effects all cool season grasses specifically ryegrass and tall fescue. Brown patch is most likely to occur during extended periods of heat and humidity as well as when their is significant lack of of air movement within the soil and turf systems. The best way to control brown patch is to ensure that you use proper watering practices as well as aerating and detaching to provide adequate air movement throughout the lawn area.

Brown Patch

Brown Patch

Powdrey Mildew Powdrey Mildew is a fungal disease common to many plants with each of it’s own disease. Cool season grasses are most effected by Powdrey Mildew appears can appear quickly on garden turf and is prominent in shady areas and occurs more frequently during cloudy or overcast periods. It is identifiable by a white dust appearance on the leaf blades. Turf that has Powdrey Mildew can yellow and die over a prolonged period but generally turf is able survive with Powdrey Mildew. To control Powdrey Mildew it is best to reduce the amount of shade. Prune or trim back any overhanging branches to allow for increased sunlight and air circulation.

Powdrey Mildrew

Powdrey Mildrew

Red Thread If you come across a presence of red webbing or thread your lawn turf is most likely to have the disease known as red thread. The main cause of red tread is low levels of nitrogen in the soil. Although it is a relatively harmless disease it can be used as an indicator that it is time to fertilise your turf. Fescue grasses and ryegrass are susceptible. Red thread can be treated using chemical fungicides but the best practice is to fertilise with adequate nitrogen, maintain a pH level of 6.5-7.0 and water deeply in the early morning.

Red Thread

Red Thread

Snow Mold Snow Mold is a funghal disease that is prominent after following a period of snow and appears as snow begins to melt.  There are two types of Snow Mold; Grey Snow Mold and Pink Snow Mold. Pink Snow Mold infects the crown of the plant and can be more detrimental to garden turf than Grey Snow Mold which effects the leaf tissue. Generally Snow Mold occurs when there is an extended period of snow cover on the ground that is not completely frozen, whilst it can also occur under leaves that have not been cleaned up before a season of cold weather. You can use specially designed fungicides but these aren’t recommended as Snow Mold damage can recover in time.

Snow Mold

Snow Mold

Fairy Ring Fairy Rings are arcs of mushrooms in grassed areas or forests. They aren’t particularly detrimental to turf but can be very difficult to get rid of. Fungicides have been created but have resulted in limited success. Digging out the mushrooms also has it’s limits as the spores of the mushrooms run wide and deep and require you to dig out a depth and width of four feet.

Fairy Ring

Fairy Ring

Posted in Turf Care | Leave a comment