I popped in to see this customer in Aldwick West Sussex last week, she was worried about a little redness on the lawn as she thought it might be a fungus called"red thread". I was able to tell her that the "reddish" tip of the blade was a symptom of the end of winter, just below all was fine and just to complete the first lawn cut of the year to bring up the green. A few days later I receive this photo and the comment "the lawn has never looked this good this early in the year", happy days.

In the autumn we scarified and aerated these lawns and used a low nitrogen feed all helping to maintain the grass and roots through the winter months. I am starting my spring treatment programme next week so this lawn will be looking even better very soon.

Quick reminder that if you do see something that worries you on the lawn, give me a call or send me a photo, it's better to be deal with anything early and it's all part of the service.

Oh and on the same day the neighbour asked me to start a treatment programme for her lawns as they need a little "Lawnrite Love". #firstdayofspring, #springisintheair, #independent lawncare

Take care

Annie x

So storm “Dorris” brought havoc to the much of the country and I am sure we have all been picking up plant pots and other debris over the last few days.

In the South “Virgin Trains” told people to avoid all unnecessary travel and in the North it was time to get the “big coat” out!

These changeable weather patterns are a sure sign that spring is upon us and this Wednesday marks the first day of the metrological spring.

Of course in the astronomical calendar, equinoxes mark the start of spring and autumn and solstices mark the start of summer and winter. This year the spring equinox falls on March 20.

The air temperatures are getting milder and hopefully here in the South the risk of a severe frost has passed. Critically, soil temperatures are on the up and so we can start to plan lawn renovation, whether that’s a spring scarification, over seeding or a full lawn renewal, it will be soon be perfect conditions to complete the work.

Every day I see new flowers blossoming in the garden and around us the parks are starting to fill with colour. Nothing beats the taste of “home grown” and I have planted new varieties of tomato this year and they are germinating in the warmth of the house, can't wait to tuck in.

Of course changeable weather and temperatures can cause some lawn diseases so keep an eye out for any patches or lawn discoloration and if you see something amiss give us a call as it better to be safe than sorry.

For those of you who have suffered from Leather Jacket or Chafer Grub attacks in the past a reminder that there are currently no chemical treatments to deal with an infestation or to help prevent one. The only solution, apart from good long term cultural practise, for these pests is nematodes which you water into the lawn, these are available by mail order but not until April as the soil temperature has to be right for them to be effective.

You can place an order now ready to take action. Please, please follow the label instructions as you have to maintain the right soil conditions whilst these little creatures do their work.

As always if you have any questions on lawn care or lawn treatments get in touch and I will do my best to answer them or if you live in East Hampshire or West Sussex I would be delighted to talk to you about your lawn(s).
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Take Care
Annie x

So the weather is teasing us at the moment with the warmest February 20th for over 100 years, typically a Monday!

I spent the last weekend in the North and wow so much moss around in the gardens up there it really has been a great growing season for moss. The picture is of a lawn in Leeds, the "in laws" which will get our Ultimate Moss Control Plan in the Spring when I take on the lawn care for the first time. Its full with moss and we will soon have the grass seeing that off!

Still the warmer weather is a great chance to get in the garden and get serious with the pruning and cutting back to make sure all the plants and shrubs have the space they need for spring.

Its a good time to plant new trees and shrubs, make sure you check how big it will grow to avoid space problems later and try to visualise what the area will be like through the season, I find a little sketch plan helps, it’s all too easy for things to get crowded as the growth picks up so a little preparation saves on remedial work later down the line.

If you have some shrubs or rose bushes that would benefit from a better position in the garden then thats also something that can be done now whilst the plant is still dormant- make sure you leave at least 20cm clearance for a small bush or rose plant but up to 50cm for a small tree, when you are replanting, don't worry about cutting the big roots when you dig the tree/bush up as the small roots will regrow. 

If you like the idea of a fruit tree in your garden but don't think you have the space  you may find dwarf trees work well for you and give a good crop.

On the lawn it’s still a good time to tackle the moss and to start thinking about the first spring feed and weed control.

If the lawn is dry enough get the mower out and trim any growth, gentle and high for the first cut and never more than 1/3rd of the plant. It’s always best to leave the grass a little longer in spring it helps the plant to grow and to keep any weed seeds in the shade and discourage them from germinating to allow the grass to dominate.   

It’s still a little cool and wet to get stuck into lawn renovation but it’s a good time to plan what’s needed.

As always if you need Lawn Care Advice or would like help with any lawn problems and I will try and help and visit if you are in Hampshire or West Sussex.

Take Care

Annie
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So for two days this week we took a break from the Winter Treatments to attend the annual conference of the Lawncare Association. The association, is a not for profit group, its members are all Independent (none franchise) Lawn Care Companies with shared goals and values. The Association sets a code of practise and provides a forum to share knowledge and best practise and bring people together as well as providing a voice to the Independent Sector of our industry.

The setting at Bisham Abbey was supberb, one of the homes of Elite British sports men and women and where the British Womens Hockey Team where based before winning Gold at Rio, infact the very pitch they won it on was first  installed in Bisham for them to practise on and then dismantled and put back together in Rio for them to win on.

We were luckly to receive a talk from  the head Groundsman for Bisham, St Georges (where the English Football team train), Lilleshall and the National Watersports Centre in Nottingham. He reminded us how important it is for all in the "turf" related industries to share knowledge as we all face many of the same challenges in dealing with lawn diseases, pests and keeping the grass green.

We were reminded that if the ELite Athletes from Bisham had been a team at the Rio Olympics then they would have been 17th in the medal table, thats ahead of Austrailia! The hallways and public areas are covered in pictures and quotes from sporting heroes from the recent and more distant past as a motivational reminder of what human spirit and endeavour can acheive with the right mind set.  

So taking on the Olympic Spirit there followed two days of debate, networking (not all in the pub) and presentations on topics as diverse as "Lawn care fertilisers: a history, evolution and future", "the Power of Social Media Marketing ", "Online Marketing – Google, SEO, AdWords and Measurement", "Pesticides, Herbcides and Insecticides".

There were associated exhibition stands from industry leading suppliers of fertilizer and many other products that we use to help the lawn's to fight the weeds, moss, pests and diseases and its mightly helpful to be able to discuss products directly and see whats new.

It all started with a talk from Professor John Moverley of the Amenity Forum who talked to us about the general importance of the amenity industry to the community as a whole and how everyone is impacted by what we do and how we do it - the Forum have lunched a realy good awareness campaign  - Take a look at the video below and find out more at ​http://www.amenityforum.co.uk/getmoving.html

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The big two challenges I think all the industry is facing is how the changing climate is affecting moss growth and how regulation is impacting on what, how and when we can apply products.

​Dr Colin Mumford from Bayer reminded us  that his company was formed as far back as 1863, their first big product was Aspirin launched way back in 1899 and that Bundesliga member Bayer Leverkusen started as the factory team.

Bayer are one of the leading suppliers of "amenity" products and until last year supplied the only insecticide product that was highly effective in dealing with the main Lawn destroying pests, Chafer Grubs and Leatherjackets. The product was withdrawn because of a regulatory decison last year, a rule that seems to have been driven by politics rather than science but "we are where we are".

There are organic nemotodes that can be used to deal with these pests but only at certain times of year, when soil conditions are right and the soil has to be kept moist for several weeks to make sure these little organisms can travel through the soild and get to the pests.

This is not just a problem for domestic Lawn Care, these pests attack grass where it tastes good to them and the gound conditions suit, so think golf courses, race courses and one that does not immediately spring to mind "airports". These pests eat the roots but the major damge is  often secondary and caused by feeding badgers or birds and you can see why having an attractive grub feast for birds on grass next to a runway may cause  some alarm for those responsible.

The good news is that the potential for harm means an emergency application is being made to allow the product to be used, the bad news is this will take some time and may not be successful and as Chafer grubs can have a lifecycle of up to five years this problem will run and run. 

We are here to help so if you have a problem with Grubs get in touch with us or your local independent lawncare company (search for them at  https://www.uklawncare.net).

And so to Moss, a hot topic for many delegates, the relativly mild winters of late and 400 million years that Moss has had to learn how to adapt means it seems to be getting worse each year. It has two growing seasons once in Autumn and again as Winter moves into Spring. The traditional way of dealing with Moss is to apply Iron and to Rake and Scarify.

In 2016 we became aware of some new lawn products which incorporate a composting bacteria to break down moss and organic matter into nutrients whilst feeding the lawn, they have the added benefit of reducing thatch levels as the bacteria convert this "organic matter" to feed for the grass. We trialed it last year and based on those positive results are launching a new program in 2017 called "Ultimate Moss Control" this is designed to control moss and thatch without raking, blackening and with less need to scarify so reducing mess and having to wait for the lawn to recover.

If you would like to hear more about this programme just call e-mail or follow the link to our home page  

So a highly infomative couple of days, new friends and contacts and as always new learnings to help us help you

Please get in touch with any questions.

Take Care

Annie
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