The easiest way to care for your turf is to hire the services of a gardening company, and you can find a comprehensive list of gardening companies in your local area on TurfPages™. However, this isn’t necessarily the most cost-expensive method of caring for your garden. Many people enjoy caring for their turf themselves, but are unsure of the best way to go about it.

Each garden is different, and not all turf types are universal. However, here at TurfPages™ we provide not only a comprehensive directory of companies dedicated to advisory services for gardens, but also offer advice and tips on caring for your turf all year round. If you think there’s any advice we’ve missed out, or you have a helpful tip you’d like to include, why not contact us and let us know what you think?

Mowing

Mowing the lawn will be the most familiar garden task to the majority of people, and is vital to keep the garden looking attractive and under control. Most of us will have experience of mowing the family lawn, but it can present difficulties.

The right equipment is essential. TurfPages™ contains a large directory of companies able to provide a variety of gardening and mowing equipment, from small domestic mowers to large ride-on mowers. Make sure you have the right mower for your garden and for your abilities; moveable blades are a must.

Only mow the lawn as the turf needs it. Throughout the winter months turf will grow very little, if at all, and too much mowing will damage your turf. However, during the warmer months mowing will be essential as often as once a week, depending on how neat you want your lawn to be. Don’t have your blades set too far down, as this will result in having a ‘scalped’ lawn and can encourage disease. Conversely, keeping your blades too high will lead to extra work for yourself, so use your common sense and keep a careful eye on how your turf is growing.

Other regular tasks

Conscientious gardeners will need to do more to their turf than simply mow it during the summer months, although this is certainly a good start. Rake the turf through autumn and winter to remove any debris, which will help prevent thatch and moss from forming on the bottom layer of the turf. Most modern mowers also offer the option for vertical mowing (scarification), which again helps prevent thatch and moss from growing and encouraging disease.

Fertilising your turf is also a wise course of action, particularly during the warmer season. A local garden centre will provide most major types of fertilisers, and provide instructions on how to use them. Be careful, though, to only fertilise your turf as often as it needs it – over-fertilisation can lead to some nasty turf diseases, as the nitrogen used in many fertilisers can be damaging.

Inspecting your turf regularly may sound obvious, but it’s a vital task for any gardener. During the spring, check your turf for signs of disease, fungi and other problems that will bloom during the summer. Heading these issues off in springtime can often prevent completely losing the lawn during the summer.

Finally, weedkiller application is vital during the summer for any gardeners wishing to cultivate an exclusively turf-based lawn. However tempting, never apply weedkiller too early – there’s a strong chance you’ll accidentally kill off your turf as well! Follow the instructions on the packaging if in any doubt, as every weedkiller brand is slightly different.

Dealing with adverse weather

The weather can create significant problems for any gardener, even in Britain. Cold winter frosts – or worse, early spring snow – may cause some initial panic, but this is unfounded. Turf is tough enough to cope with extreme cold, as long as it’s left alone. Do not walk on your turf when it’s frozen or covered in snow, and avoid performing any kind of maintenance during these months. This way the turf should spring back in full and healthy condition during the spring.

Drought is an increasing problem for many UK gardens. Don’t be tempted to break hosepipe bans just to water your lawn – it’s not worth breaking the law. Some turf will go an unsightly brown colour, although this does not necessarily mean the turf has completely died. To give your turf the best chance of surviving a drought, invest in a watering can and water your lawn during the early morning and early evening. Watering any plant during the high sun will result in the leaves becoming scorched and can do irreparable damage to your turf. Make sure all of the lawn is soaked evenly and thoroughly, and resist the urge to over-water.

The most common problem in the British garden is heavy rain, and this one can only be combated using careful planning and prevention techniques. Again, although turf is a very hard-wearing plant too much water will eventually overwhelm it. A full flood will most likely destroy the garden. Even a period of heavy rain can do irreparable damage to turf, so the best thing to do is have decent drainage procedures in place for any garden. Good soil is the key to this, and TurfPages™ contains a directory of various companies that can provide help with this. On a more positive note, a garden full of turf and good soil will help soak up rainwater, thereby helping to prevent flooding in nearby houses.

Garden pests

A healthy garden is one with a thriving ecology. Plants need animals and insects to grow and pollinate and it won’t hurt the planet, either. The majority of most garden animals, both rural and urban won’t harm your garden in anyway, particularly compared to domestic animals such as cats and dogs.

Firstly, be aware that pesticides can be more trouble than they’re worth. They can be lethal to domestic animals, or will harm the small animals you need in your garden to help it thrive. If you’re suffering from an infestation of unwanted insects, the internet is full of tips for getting rid of them. We’d love to hear your ideas at TurfPages™ about how you get rid of your garden pests, from aphids to slugs.

Bigger animals can cause more problems. Large infestations of wasps and other potentially harmful insects need to be dealt with by your local council, and you can find more information on this at DirectGov. Take care when trying to remove any larger animals yourself; it is illegal, for example, to destroy bird’s eggs, and bats cannot be removed from any garden due to their endangered species status.

Some simple preventative measures in a garden is to keep your garden in good order, and make sure any food from bird tables etc isn’t left on the floor. If you have a garden full of earthworm casts then try to disperse these – the earthworm is good for your garden, but the animals they can attract occasionally cause problems.

If you have any tips or ideas for removing pests from your garden, why not contact us and share your idea with the world?

TurfPages™ and all related slogans and original content are the intellectual property of TurfPages™ and may not be used without permission. User contributions to TurfPages™ are gratefully accepted, and are acknowledged as such. All company details are listed in good faith, but TurfPages™ can take no responsibility for any problems arising from using a listed company, or from customers referred from TurfPages™. Any information and tips listed have been robustly checked but TurfPages™ can take no responsibility for any problems that may arise from following them. ©2010