Autumn is the time for lawn renovations. The soil is still warm and the grass has entered a vegetative growth stage, meaning it has finished trying to flower and is preparing itself for the coming colder weather by making more carbohydrates and growing more shoots instead of leaf. Renovation work can be hard on the grass, but it recovers quickly if renovation work is carried out before the colder temperatures arrive.

The main works are:

• Scarification to remove the build-up of surface organic matter. Too much organic matter, called thatch, retains surface water and nutrients, resulting soft, shallow rooted lawns that are susceptible to drought and cannot recover from wear. You can hire a machine, use a lawncare contractor, or rake the grass hard with a garden rake. You will amazed at how much material comes out and – no, you have NOT killed your lawn! It will recover.

• Aeration – either hollow coring or solid spike. Hollow coring takes out thatch and allows air to circulate into the soil for healthy roots and soil environment. If thatch is not a concern then solid spikes, which penetrate 75-100mm, will also help to aerate the soil. Small areas can be aerated with a garden fork, but remember not to turn the soil over! You are not creating a vegetable patch. Water the lawn and allow to drian, then dig the fork in as far as you can and lift straight out. Larger areas will need the use a mechanical aerator or the services of a lawncare company.

• Feed the grass with a low nitrogen fertiliser, e.g. one with a NPK analysis of 8:2:6. Nitrogen content of more than 10% at this time of the year will only result in soft leaf tissue that is susceptible to disease attack during the cooler temperatures and wetter climate.

• In partnership with using the correct fertiliser, help to protect your lawn from the ravages of winter by using TurfSolv. The biostimulants in TurfSolv help to enhance the plant’s natural defences against freezing temperatures and fungal disease attack.