Green Thumb Lawn Assistant

Want to know how to keep your lawn looking perfect this summer? We've teamed up with the experts at Green Thumb to give you exclusive advice and tips on lawn care.

A beautiful lawn doesn’t just happen by itself. Your lawn could be host to a number of problems, diseases, or disorders which could cause it to either not look at its best, or have an even more detrimental impact. The Greenthumb lawn experts are trained to analyse, treat, and cure lawn problems. An independently UK-owned and operated company, GreenThumb has pioneered and developed lawn treatment services exclusively in the UK since 1986.

Visitors sent in question for us about their lawns and we got a select few answered by the experts at Greenthumb

Your questions answered

Question:

I have a large lawn area with a big dog, we leave the grass longer so she does not rip it too much when playing, what can I put on to help keep it reasonable, we are on very sandy soil. Barbara.

Answer:

This is a challenging question to answer because the sandy soil will make it difficult for the grass roots to get a good footing.

First of all, a fertiliser with high phosphorus and potassium content will help with root development.

Additionally, GreenThumb offers a treatment programme called SlowMow, which uses a high tech growth regulator.  One of the benefits of this treatment is an increase sward density and root development.  The other benefit of this treatment is that the grass doesn’t need to be cut as often.

We also offer a water conserver programme called Oasis – along with some watering this will keep the soil moist during the summer, which will certainly help as the roots will get a better anchor in the soil.

A long term, costly and probably impractical suggestion would be to aerate the lawn and remove the cores. Then top dress the lawn with a loam top dressing. This would probably have to be done for a couple of years to see if it is possible to change the structure of the soil, increase the soil density and thus improve the soil for the roots to anchor.

Question:

My kids were cleaning and spilt bleach and soap on the lawn. We have tried leaving it but it is not working how can we help get it healthy again without sowing grass again, is there a grass feeder? Ellie.

Answer:

Unfortunately the bleach is likely to have killed the grass plant, but this will depend on the strength of the product and how diluted it was.  The best thing to do is to ‘fork’ the area and apply a lot of water to it, to wash the bleach out of the soil completely.  Some overseeding of the area may be necessary, but a good feed will nourish the grass surrounding the area and encourage growth.

Question:

My Lawn Care company insist on scarifying my lawn in the Winter. What are your views on this? Bob

Just a quick question, my neighbours have just had their lawn hollow cored and scarified by our local GreenThumb in Bucks and I was wondering the reason for this work to be carried out during the dead of winter when recovery would not take place until at least May? Our lawn treatment company insists on scarifying early autumn or spring when you will get recovery, am I right to think this or are they wrong. Thanks, Sally

Answer:

There isn’t really a right or wrong answer to this question.  Scarifying a lawn is a rigorous process that, depending on the amount of thatch and moss, can cause a lawn to look unsightly immediately after this treatment, and for some time afterwards.  Although scarifying a lawn in the summer will mean that it will recover quicker, as the grass is already growing, it does mean your lawn is unlikely to look fantastic at the time you really want it to.

GreenThumb aerate and scarify lawns from the end of September through to the end of March, and will only do it if conditions are suitable.  Although recovery may take a little bit longer, it does mean that you can carry on enjoying your lawn in the summer and not worry too much about it in the winter, when it is likely to be used less.