Posts Tagged ‘irrigation system’ < back
24th Apr:
It seems strange that in the middle of this incessant rain I am sat here writing a blog about what we can and can’t do with hoses over the next few months! On April 4th having taken a huge gamble, we finished laying 480m² of turf in one garden. Since then I don’t think it has stopped raining which is great for that lawn and the reservoirs but frustrating for all our other jobs.
I have been asked many times over the last couple of weeks what the general public are allowed to do in the garden so hopefully below are a few helpful guidelines.
- No hoses are allowed to water lawns or plants. However you can fill watering cans and water any lawns or plants. It will just take a lot longer.
- No cleaning of any walls, or windows, patios, paths, garden furniture or any other outdoor artificial surface using a hose.
- You are not allowed to fill or maintaining a domestic pond using a hosepipe (unless it has fish and their welfare is at stake – lucky fish!).
- You are not allowed to fill or maintaining an ornamental fountain.
- However you are allowed to use a hosepipe for cleaning purposes if health and safety is going to be an issue.
Ways to make the most of the situation.
- Plant any new trees, shrubs and plants in well-rotted, water-retaining compost and cover with a heavy layer of mulch (up to 4 inches) to retain moisture.
- While you are at it cover the rest of the beds in a thick layer of mulch.
- Deliver water directly to the base of plants through tree-root watering pipes or trickle/drip irrigation equipment.
- Install a trickle/drip irrigation system.
- Wherever possible, use timer devices to water early in the morning or late in the evening when evaporation is minimal.
- Don’t worry about lawns turning brown. This shows the grass has stopped growing, but most lawns will recover completely when the rain returns
- Install water butts to collect rainwater off greenhouse, shed, garage and house roofs
If anyone is unsure about anything or has any questions please feel free to give us a call and we will try to help in any way we can (legally!!).
Post holiday blues
23rd Aug:
Post holiday blues.
We are now at that time of year when most of us have returned from our long awaited summer holidays, the weather is awful (its’ raining as I write) and not only does it not feel like we have been on holiday, but sometimes it feels like we need another one.
The garden is probably overgrown and if the irrigation system has been working as it should, it is all looking very lush and the grass is about six inches long. I know you are all desperate to get out there and sort it all out but below are a couple of hints for you.
1. Even if the grass is very long don’t put your mower on a low setting and cut it right back. For the first cut having returned from holiday give the grass a small trim first and then a couple of days later reduce the height a bit more and cut again. This will stop the grass from going into shock and allowing weeds to get established.
2. After a long hot summer (we wish!) The ground will be quite hard and now would be a good idea to spike the ground (aerate) to allow water to penetrate further down to the deeper roots. Also give the grass a feed.
3. The latter part of the summer is also the best time to prune many midsummer-flowering shrubs to keep them vigorous and flowering well.
A lot of you may have been having problems with your Busy Lizzies (Impatiens) this year and are finding them either dying or struggling to survive. This is due to a disfiguring disease that has hit the whole of the UK. The disease is called Impatiens downy mildew and they reckon has been encouraged by our damp cool summer. At the moment there is not a lot we can do as the usual fungicides aren’t working.
On a more cheerful note, I hope you all have had a good summer and if there is anything we can help with, even if it is just some advice please feel free to give us a call.
Mowing Tips
28th Jun:
Firstly and most importantly choose the correct lawn mower for your lawn. Cylinder mowers are only really suitable for perfectly flat lawns with finer grass types. Consider whether you want stripes (in which case best results come with some sort of roller) whether there are hard to reach or sloping areas (use a lighter fly-mow) or if you need the mower to collect cuttings too.
Make sure your mower is serviced regularly and that the blades are as sharp as possible which will ensure a better cut. Do not cut your lawn too low.
Whenever you fill your mower with petrol, never do this on the actual grass as petrol burns grass.
Don’t cut your lawn too short (min 1 inch). Cutting your lawn too short can encourage lawn diseases, moss and weed growth. Also never cut more than a third of the height at any one time. If you do, it can cause scalping which can take 2-3 mowing cycles to recover.
Also try to remove any clippings from the lawn as this can encourage thatch which means moss will thrive.
Cut your lawn frequently as this encourages it to grow thicker which keeps out the weeds.
Don’t mow the lawn when it is wet as this can cause the soil to be compacted which suffocates the roots and causes bald patches.
Keep your edges nice and neat by using either a half moon edging tool or even installing an edging product such as EverEdge.
If conditions are very dry and the lawn is looking brown, try to keep off the lawn as much as possible as the grass will be dry and brittle and liable to break. Do not cut shorter than 2 inches and do not cut again until there is a sign of growth.
When watering, don’t overwater by watering every day. In the summer every 2-3 days should be enough. Water the lawn early in the morning or during the later part of the day when evaporation is at its lowest. An irrigation system is always a good idea.
Watering deeply will encourage deep root growth.
Aerate your lawn, using a fork on the smaller lawns and specialist machines (that can be hired) on the larger lawns.
Once this is done, scarifiy your grass, again using a hand rake on smaller areas and machines on the larger lawns. These jobs can be done in either order.
Next is the grass seed. On a small lawn scatter it by hand thinly. Careful not to be too generous at the start and run out before all the area is covered. Then using a stiff brush gently ‘encourage’ the seed down the holes as much as possible.
Next apply a top dressing, which is a mixture of compost and wash sand which helps improve drainage and fertility of the soil. Using a soft rake, gently spread the topdressing into the grass.
Feed your lawn regularly with an appropriate lawn fertiliser. This will make it greener and thicker, and helps return nutrients to the soil.
