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Lawns
| Turf, especially fine turf, is one of the most demanding features
in any garden. The Front Lawn is cut weekly when in growth (average
32 to 36 cuts per year) to a height of 15mm in spring/summer
and 25mm in autumn/winter, all clippings being ‘boxed’
and removed. Such regular mowing depletes nutrients, especially
nitrogen, and these must be returned to ensure a healthy sward.
A slow release, high nitrogen organic fertiliser should be applied
at least twice during the growing season (in late March and
early June) with a third application of autumn feed (high potassium
plus slow release nitrogen) in late September/early October. |
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Early autumn is also the best time to undertake the lawns annual
maintenance. The sward will require mechanical scarification
and aeration followed by over seeding with a fescue/bent mix
and top dressing with a sandy loam. Chemical weed control may
also be undertaken at this time or when growth resumes in the
early spring.
The area of lawn beneath the shade of the cherry tree needs
special treatment. It should be mown less frequently and the
cut should never be lower than 20mm. During autumn maintenance,
this area should be re-sown with a special shade mixture that
includes tolerant grass species such as hard fescue and sheep’s
fescue.
The grass in the Orchard demands less maintenance because it
experiences less wear. In the summer (late May to late July)
it should be cut to 25mm on a weekly basis whilst in spring
and autumn a cut to 30mm every fortnight should suffice. Less
mowing results in a reduced nutrient requirement with a single
feed in late March plus the autumnal feed as before. Scarification
is probably unnecessary but aeration is advantageous to increase
surface drainage.
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