Johnsons Lawn Seed unveils top tips to keep lawns looking lush if summer 2019 is another scorcher

Last year’s drought left lawns across the UK looking patchy and in need of TLC. Gardeners need not fear, however, as a few simple steps can rejuvenate tatty turf and green-up lawns in time for summer. Here, the UK’s leading lawn seed supplier, Johnsons Lawn Seed, shares its five-point action plan to help gardeners transform tired turf into a lush lawn that’s capable of surviving whatever this summer’s weather throws at it.

Johnsons Lawn Seed’s Guy Jenkins said: “With summer around the corner and bank holiday weekends looming, gardens become the focus for family entertaining, if we’re lucky with the weather. Unfortunately, the nation’s lawns – often the centrepiece of a garden – were ravaged by last summer’s drought, and many failed to fully recover last autumn. The good news is that gardeners don’t need the skills of a greenkeeper to nurse turf back into top condition this spring. By using our fast-germinating lawn seed and a clever new organic fertiliser, anyone can transform a patchy area of grass into a lawn to be proud of.”

See our five-point guide to creating a lawn to be proud of:

1. Feed tired turf

After the hot, dry summer of 2018 turned soil to dust, then winter rain washed any remaining nutrients away, the nation’s lawns are in urgent need of a pick-me-up. Traditionally, gardeners have been taught to apply a mid-spring feed, usually carried out in late March or April. However, Johnsons’ new Super Smart Lawn Feed can be used at any time that grass is growing – usually between February and September, as long as there’s no drought and freezing weather isn’t forecast. Super Smart is a 100% organic lawn feed that revitalises lawns by using beneficial bacteria to fix nitrogen to roots – right where it’s needed. It increases the root system by up to 150 times, using soluble mycorrhizae, while the clever formulation harnesses the power of seaweed extract to inject micronutrients for dense, green and even growth. It’s just the ticket for getting your lawn to look lush in time for relaxing in the garden this summer.

2. Tackle unsightly moss

Gardeners who applied moss killer to lawns this spring, or used a lawn rake to pull it out, are often faced with a dilemma: what to do with bare patches left where moss once thrived, and how to stop this invader from growing back. Moss thrives in shady areas and it loves poorly drained soil that’s low in nutrients. To fight back, sow patches or new lawns with Johnsons’ After Moss Lawn Seed. Its clever formulation of 100% amenity dwarf perennial ryegrass is coated in a special calcium carbonate anti-moss shell that gently raises the pH level of the soil to help deter moss from returning. And remember, mowing too short can encourage new growth of moss, so go easy with the mower and avoid cutting too close. On well-trodden, compacted areas, use a garden fork to spike the lawn, as well-aerated turf will be less prone to moss outbreaks

3. Overseed patchy lawns

Flick through the pages of any gardening book and it’ll advise you not to water parched lawns in summer: turf will green-up again when autumn rains arrive, experts say. And such advice usually rings true, but the severity of drought last summer proved too much for many lawns. The result is patchy grass that failed to fully recover, and tired turf needs to be tackled now. Johnsons’ Lawn Thickener Lawn Seed with Seedbooster® – an innovative coating of fast and slow release fertiliser that provides fast germination – is perfect for transforming patchy lawns quickly. The result is greener grass after a single application, with Seedbooster®-treated seed providing up to 30% more grass for a denser lawn. Not only is Lawn Thickener safe to use around children and pets, but birds won’t gobble-up freshly-applied lawn seed, as Seedbooster®’s coating is unpalatable to birds and acts as a harmless bird deterrent.

4. Create a bit of luxury

Nothing is more quintessentially British than a beautiful striped lawn. And while a lawnmower with a rear roller will create this sought-after manicured effect, overseeding or sowing a new lawn with the right seed can enhance turf’s luxury appearance. Johnsons’ Luxury Lawn Lawn Seed is the secret to gaining a deluxe lawn with a fine, dense appearance that’s suited to being mown short – perfect for a striped effect. For gardneners who have dreamed of recreating the bowling green-style turf of a Royal Horticultural Society garden at home, this is the mix to sow for a beautiful lawn.

5. Tackle shady areas

Every garden has challenging areas. Whether it’s dust-dry soil beneath the canopy of an overhanging tree, or the shadows cast by high hedges or walls, keeping lawns lush in sun-starved environments hasn’t always been easy – until now. Where lawns are tired, patchy, or need to be started again from scratch, Johnsons’ Shady Place Lawn Seed is just the ticket. Its secret is a combination of hard fescue, strong and slender creeping red fescue and brown top bent – a customised blend that establishes quickly and results in a top quality, drought-tolerant lawn that retains its colour in dry areas, damp shade and semi-shade. The result is a lawn with a fine appearance, and Shady Place Lawn Seed can be used in non-shady areas, too, so that all lawned areas of a garden blend together seamlessly.

Pull-out box: How to sow a new lawn from seed

-      Spring and autumn are the best seasons for establishing a new lawn. The soil should be moist, warm and workable – while the weather should be neither too hot or cold to cause problems.

-      Good preparation is the key to success. Taking time to prepare a seed bed will pay dividends. Ensure that all perennial weeds are removed from the area to be sown.

-      Next, dig or rotavate the area. If soil is extremely poor or sandy, incorporate well-rotted organic matter. Tread the area over to firm soil down. Then if possible, leave it for a few weeks to settle.

-      Before sowing, again remove or kill any weeds, ensuring that weed roots are teased from the soil. Tread the area then rake it level, raking in several directions.

-      Sow evenly using Johnsons Lawn Seed, at the rate stated on the pack. If the area to be sown is large, consider dividing it into sections. Lightly rake over the sown area and, if dry weather is forecast, water gently using a watering can with a fine rose or a light sprinkler. Keep off the new lawn while seed is establishing and water regularly if conditions are dry.

Find out more

To find out more about Johnsons Lawn Seed products please visit http://www.johnsonslawnseed.com/product-range.aspx

ENDS

Words: 1115

For more information, interviews or images please contact:

Kimberley Hornby      Tel: 07851610573      Email: kimberley@hornbywhitefootpr.co.uk

Marc Rosenberg       Tel: 07931645170     Email: marc@hornbywhitefootpr.co.uk

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Editors notes

Established in 1820 Johnsons Lawn Seed is the oldest lawn seed brand in the UK with a long and prestigious record of product innovation and grass breeding.