A Striped Lawn
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As soon as autumn begins and leaves start to fall, lawn care becomes an increasingly important task to prepare for the winter. Shorter days with less light come in stark contrast to the light filled summer months. The yearly cycle of gardens regenerating comes to an end as the temperatures get colder and the winter sets in before it all begins again.

For lawn owners, lawn care is an extremely important part of giving all growing things the best chance of surviving the cold hard frosts and shorter, darker days of the winter. Lawn care cannot be underestimated and a few small jobs could really make a difference.

The first on the list of lawn care advice is to make sure that the lawn’s surface is free from coverings of fallen leaves and any other debris from plants and trees. Because of windy conditions, lawn debris from trees can increase during the autumn months leading up to the winter. If they are not removed then it’s highly likely that damp, un-aerated patches will form below the fallen matter, which can do damage to a lawn.

Next, lawn care gardeners should give the lawn a good raking – often referred to as scarification, this should be done using the correct equipment designed specifically for this purpose. The seemingly endless summer weeks of lawn mowing can leave most lawns with a layer of cut grass just above the soil known as ‘thatch’. Thatch creates a poor drainage problem, which can then lead to wet and waterlogged areas of soil that is subject to disease much more easily. It can also mean that the grass plant is prevented from spreading and developing.

Lastly, lawn care can help with drainage. When a lawn is used a lot, compaction can be caused which is a problem. Lawn care that involves a process called aeration can help restore the lawn from this condition by the use of spiking Using a garden fork, holes can be driven into the lawn during the autumn which can help increase its ability to drain water and get more air. Whilst it may seem like damage is being done to a lawn by doing this, lawn care involving spiking is highly efficient and recommended by all lawn care experts.

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