A Nation Starts Tending to Its Lawns

NORWICH, U.K. - April 24, 2013 - PRLog -- Last week saw Great Britain celebrating National Gardening Week. Across the country people were attending events to learn more about gardening, from selecting which flowers will bloom best to finding out how to live The Good Life by growing their own vegetables.

From the green fingered all the way to the first time gardener, everyone was getting their hands dirty as for the first time since a particularly harsh winter we all got a chance to enjoy some sunny weather.

Of course, one of the first jobs that would-be gardeners needed to tend to was repairing any damage their lawn had suffered during the toughest winter this country has seen for decades.

Mark Bartram, the managing director of Lawnmower’s Direct, said, “Now that the weather’s improving we’re seeing a lot of people are keen to start mowing their lawns, but often people don’t think any further than that. To get a really pristine lawn you’re going to need to put in a bit more care and attention.”

Before they can start mowing their lawns, conscientious gardeners will need to clear away the layer of rubbish, dead plant matter, moss and worm casts that can build up during the winter – known as “thatch” to specialists.

“Clearing away the thatch isn’t as tough as it sounds,” Bartram explained. “Simply running over the grass with a wire tooth rake will gather up most of the debris, while also being great exercise!

“Clearing the debris away before mowing will also get your grass standing straighter, allowing more air into the sward to lift out dead material. On the other hand, if you leave the debris in place it retains moisture, so that the grass roots won’t have any reason to dig deeper into the soil and build a more solid foundation for your lawn.”

This is more important than ever given the winter we’ve just had, Bartram argued.

“We’re seeing a lot more moss than usual this spring,” he said. “It’s been a long, wet winter, which is ideal for the growth of moss, so the grass has had a tough time and is going to need some TLC before we start mowing.”

As well as clearing debris, gardeners are also being advised to use lawn feed that’s high in nitrogen and iron phosphate, to encourage growth while killing off any leftover moss.

“You can apply lawn feed by simply sprinkling it over the grass by hand. This gives the grass lots of essential nutrients encouraging it to grow and set down deeper roots,” Bartram said.

When it comes to finally mowing the lawn, Bartram advised setting the lawn mower blades at 20mm high, and then collecting the clippings.

“You want to make you’re using a machine that’s suitable for the lawn you have,” said Bartram. “For a small lawn a hover mower will be up to the job, while also being agile enough to deal with the smaller, more awkward areas. On the other hand, for a really large lawn it may be worth investing in a ride-on mower. Whatever you use, make sure that the blades are sharp and the machine is well-maintained.”

About Lawnmowers Direct:
Lawnmowers Direct is the online trading name of Bartram Mowers, who were founded in 1972 and operate from its two premises in Norwich and Ipswich. Since then they have been supplying high quality grass cutting equipment to the professional and retail sectors, as well as distributing some of their domestic franchises to other dealers.

In 1978 they were awarded the Royal Warrant for supplying machinery to Sandringham House and have held this honour ever since. The company has been accredited to BS5750 since 1990 and holds ISO9001. In 1997 the company became an Investor in People.

Contact Details:
Lawnmowers Direct
Bluebell Road
Eaton
Norwich
Norfolk
NR4 7LG

http://www.lawnmowersdirect.co.uk