Expert tips for keeping grass green

Green-fingered Brits are being given top tips on how to keep their grass green throughout spring and summer.

The experts at GardeningExpress.co.uk have shared their tips on the best ways to maintain a perfect and luscious green lawn.

The key to a great looking garden starts with the lawn and there are a few things that Brits should be doing to make theirs look as healthy as possible.

The gardening experts are encouraging house-proud Brits to use fertiliser, make use of grass clippings and change their watering schedule in the search for having healthy grass for the summer.

Chris Bonnett, founder of GardeningExpress said: “Everyone wants gorgeous green grass for summer, especially if you’re entertaining.

“The lawn is an important part of the garden and when it’s taken care of, tidy and green, it can automatically make the garden appear neater and more presentable.

“There are a few routine things you can do to keep your grass looking healthy and bright like adding fertiliser, leaving grass clippings, and top dressing.

“If you do all of these things consistently, you’ll notice a real change in your lawn.”

How to keep your grass green:

1. Fertiliser

Ideally you want to fertilise your grass a few times throughout the year – once at the start of Spring, once in the summer and once in the early autumn.

Mow your lawn and lay down your fertiliser with a spreader which will ensure you have an even coverage. Leave this to settle in the grass for around 24 hours then give it a light water. After that, avoid watering the grass for a few days so that the fertiliser can do its job. Once you’ve done this you can get back to watering your grass as normal.

2. Top dressing

Top dressing is something you can do a couple of weeks after using a fertiliser if you’re really keen for your grass to grow. Mix together materials like sand, soil loam and peat and apply this to your dry grass. The materials will transfer nutrients back into the soil and promote growth.

3. Make use of grass clippings

Similar to top dressing, an easy way to promote grass growth is to leave the remaining grass clippings on your grass after mowing. This way, the clippings decompose and transform healthy nutrients that promote growth back into the soil, keeping your grass healthy.

4. Change your watering schedule

A lot of people tend to water their grass little and often. Instead of watering your grass everyday for short periods of time, try and give your grass a longer and deeper water a few times a week in order to penetrate right down to the roots. Leaving it for a couple of days will give the grass plenty of time to soak it up before the next watering.

5. Don’t cut your grass too short

You may think that you’re keeping your lawn nice and tidy by having short grass but actually it could be doing more harm than good. Shorter grass means less photosynthesis which means less growth. Ideally you want to keep your grass around 2 to 3 inches long.

6. Aerate your lawn

Aeration is creating small holes in your lawn to allow it to breathe and allow air and nutrients to access the roots. It’s also important to avoid a build up of thatch. However you must ensure that you do this in correct weather conditions, it shouldn’t be too dry or too wet. Simply dig a garden fork into different sections of the grass or you can purchase a lawn aerator, either is fine.

7. Overseeding

Healthy grass is consistent and if you find that you have a couple of bare spots in your lawn then you may want to consider overseeding. This is a great way to sow new seed over existing lawn and can lead to fuller looking grass.