A green, luscious, well maintained lawn can be the making of a garden. From time to time, though, it might need some extra care to keep it in peak condition. The winter months are the best time to put a plan into place to protect your grass and get it in tip top condition, ready for the Spring months. Here’s Mesh4’s top tips on how you can protect grass & turf.
Tip 1: Seeding your garden
To fill in any bare or thinning patches due to wear and tear and excess footfall traffic, it’s best to apply a generous amount of seed to rejuvenate the grass. Don’t forget to water often to encourage growth. Our turf reinforcement mesh can also help with this process; simply lay the green plastic mesh down onto your existing grass and pin with our U pins – the three dimensional structure of this grass mesh ensures effective anchoring of the grass roots, therefore this extra layer of protection can increase the stability and strength of the grass. With this turf reinforcement, you’ll reduce these bare and thinning grass patches and help the grass grow.
Tip 2: Aerate your lawn
Over time, the soil beneath the grass can become compacted, this compaction results in problems with air circulation, water drainage and nutrient absorption. By simply punching 3 inch deep holes around your garden, the soil will become looser which will help to prevent these issues. Aerating your lawn will make your grass greener and healthier as the grass will have a better environment in which to grow, with the nutrients and the amount of water it needs. For a more permanent solution, our porous pavers can be installed. Permeable pavers protect the soil underneath and due to their cellular structure, help with drainage issues as the water can flow freely. They also have the added benefit of increasing grass growth as they protect the roots with only the grass blades exposed. A sub-base does need to be prepared prior to installing our grass pavers, but they do not require any planning permission which is a great help.
Tip 3: Recycle your grass clippings
Probably one of the quickest and easiest methods to help improve your grass; instead of throwing away your grass clippings simply leave them on your lawn! These grass clippings will decompose and return much needed nutrients back into the soil which will improve the soil’s quality and reduce the need for fertilisers.
Tip 4: Safely prevent mole hills
Everyone dreams of a green beautiful garden and mole hills are the last thing anyone wants to see popping up! They can damage your garden and look awful. Our mole netting is a great option to prevent these moles, yet is a very safe way and will not harm the animals. This lightweight heavy duty mole mesh is laid underground a few centimetres below the surface which prevents the moles from accessing the area and digging up into the surface, leaving your garden mole hill free.
Tip 5: Prevent muddy areas
Excess mud can cause a negative effect on grass growth; the seeds can move around and make a very patchy lawn. Excess water can also hinder grass growth and kill the grass. It takes a lot of time and effort to correct a muddy lawn and turn it into the green garden you want! Laying our grass protection mesh can help. By pinning it down onto the ground or grass it can contain the mud underneath the grass mesh and protect the soil underneath/the grass roots from wear and tear due to foot traffic. It’s the perfect way to prevent the area from becoming even muddier and can help the grass to establish itself and start to grow.
Tip 6: Prevent weeds
Weeds can take over your garden quickly. They look unattractive and compete with grasses and flowers for nutrients, sun light, water and space, this then leaves the grass and flowers weak and unhealthy and can cause them to wilt and die. Weeds can be removed at the root either using tools or chemicals but this can be a repetitive, tiring job. Our ground cover can be used as a more permanent solution without having to repeatedly remove weeds manually. The area firstly needs to be prepared by removing any existing weeds and raking the area to make it smooth and free from debris. Mesh4’s weed mat can then be laid, covering the entire area. It is held down by ground cover pegs; holes can be cut around existing flowers or plants. The ground cover blocks any light, leaving the weeds unable to grow but is permeable enough to let water and essential nutrients get to the soil. You’re left with happy and healthy plants, and no more unsightly weeds.
We hope you’ve found our guide to ground reinforcement and protection helpful. See some of our recommended grass and ground protection meshes below.
