🌱 Rádce péče o trávník🌱 Lawn Care Guides

💨 Hollow-tine aeration — the foundation of a healthy lawn

Aeration is our speciality and the treatment we recommend most often. Over the years, soil under a lawn gets compacted by foot traffic, rain and mowing — air and water stop reaching the roots, roots stay shallow and the lawn weakens no matter how well you feed it. An aerator with hollow tines pulls thousands of soil plugs out of the ground and opens the way for roots to breathe.

How aeration works

How to tell your lawn needs aeration

• Water sits on the surface after rain instead of soaking in.
• The ground is rock hard — you can't push a pencil into it.
• Grass thins and weakens despite regular feeding and watering.
• Bare patches appear in high-traffic spots (paths, around the trampoline).
• Moss spreads — a sign of a permanently damp, airless surface.

When and how often

The ideal window is May to the end of September, when the lawn is actively growing and the holes quickly fill with new roots. A regular garden needs aeration once a year; heavily used or clay soils twice (spring + late summer). Right after aeration is the perfect time for overseeding and organic feeding — nutrients go straight to the roots.

🌱 How to mow your lawn properly

Mowing is the most frequent — and most underrated — part of lawn care. Done right, the lawn thickens and crowds out weeds by itself; done wrong, it weakens.

The one-third rule

Never remove more than a third of the blade height in one cut. Bring an overgrown lawn down gradually, in two or three cuts a few days apart.

How high and how often

• Ornamental lawn: 3–4 cm, weekly in season.
• Family lawn: 4–5 cm, every 5–10 days.
• In drought and heat: leave 5–6 cm — taller grass shades the soil and dries out less.

Rules that make the difference

• Always mow with sharp blades — dull blades tear the grass and tips dry out brown.
• Don't mow wet grass; the cut is uneven and soil compacts.
• Alternate mowing direction so grass grows upright without "tracks".
• Make the last cut before winter at about 4 cm.

🍃 What is scarification and why your lawn needs it

Scarification is vertical cutting of the turf. It removes the thatch layer — dead grass, moss and clipping debris that blocks water, air and nutrients from reaching the roots.

How to tell it's time

• The lawn feels "spongy" — it springs like a carpet underfoot.
• Water sits on the surface after watering.
• The brown thatch layer is thicker than 1 cm.
• Moss is spreading and the lawn is thinning.

When and how to scarify

1. Timing: ideally April–May, or September. Soil moist, not wet.
2. First mow down to about 3 cm.
3. Run the scarifier in two directions (lengthwise and across), blades only 2–3 mm into the soil.
4. Rake up and remove all the thatch.
5. Overseed thin patches, feed, and water in dry spells.

💚 Fertilising your lawn through the year

Grass is a hungry plant — every mow removes nutrients you need to give back. Without feeding, the lawn pales, thins and loses to weeds and moss.

A year-round feeding plan

• March–April: spring feed high in nitrogen (N) — kick-starts growth and colour.
• June: slow-release summer feed to last through the season.
• August: a lighter dose while the lawn recovers from summer.
• October: autumn feed rich in potassium (K), no nitrogen — strengthens tissue and readies roots for frost.

Feeding rules

• Apply to a dry lawn, then water thoroughly (or apply before rain).
• Stick to the dose — "more" means a scorched lawn, not a greener one.
• A spreader gives even coverage; feeding by hand leaves patches.

💧 Watering: less often, but properly

The most common mistake is frequent shallow sprinkling. It trains lazy roots near the surface — and the lawn won't survive the first heatwave unscathed.

How to water right

• Dose: 15–20 l/m² at a time (put a cup on the lawn — 15–20 mm of water).
• Frequency: 1–2× a week by weather; soil should moisten 10–15 cm deep.
• Time: early morning. Evening watering leaves the lawn wet overnight and invites fungal disease.

Signs of thirst

• Blades lose their sheen and turn grey-green.
• Footprints stay visible longer than a few seconds.

🟢 Moss in the lawn: causes and cures

Moss isn't a disease — it's a symptom. It grows where grass lacks the strength to compete. Remove moss without fixing the cause and it's back within a year.

The usual causes

• Shade — grass weakens under trees and by north-facing walls.
• Acidic soil (pH below 5.5) — moss loves it, grass doesn't.
• Compacted, permanently damp soil — roots suffocate.
• Cutting too short and underfeeding — weakened grass retreats.

A routine that works

1. In spring apply a moss killer (iron sulphate) — the moss blackens.
2. After 10–14 days rake it out or scarify.
3. Test soil pH; below 5.5, lime in autumn.
4. Overseed with a quality mix (shade-tolerant where needed) and feed.
5. Mow higher and feed regularly so grass keeps the upper hand.

🐛 Lawn pests & diseases: identify and treat them

Brown patches don't always mean drought. The shape and behaviour of the damage tells you the culprit — and that decides the treatment.

🌾 Lawn renovation: a rescue without an excavator

A thin, weedy or drought-scorched lawn usually doesn't need to be rebuilt from scratch. A full renovation brings it back for a fraction of the cost of a new lawn — with first results within a month.

How renovation works

1. Diagnosis — we find the cause (compaction, thatch, acidic soil, weeds, pests) during a free survey.
2. Scarification or aeration — depending on the turf and soil, we open the lawn to water and air.
3. Weed control — selective treatment against broadleaf weeds; grasses stay untouched.
4. Overseeding — a quality seed mix picked for the site (sun/shade, wear, drought).
5. Topdressing — a thin layer of sand or substrate protects the seed and levels the surface.
6. Organic feeding — kick-starts growth without chemicals, safe for kids and pets.

When to renovate

The best windows are April–May and August–September — the soil is warm and moist, seeds germinate quickly and the new grass strengthens before summer or winter. Regular watering in the first 3–4 weeks is crucial.

🏗️ A new lawn from A to Z

A new lawn is like building a house — the foundations decide the result. Most mistakes come from an underestimated base preparation, which is why it gets most of our time on the job.

Our process

1. Ground preparation — removing old growth and weeds, rough levelling.
2. Substrate delivery — quality lawn substrate or sand to match the soil.
3. Fine levelling and rolling — a base without dips means an even lawn without puddles.
4. Seeding or turf laying — seed picked for the site; rolled turf = instant green.
5. Protective layer and watering — seed is covered and watered intensively for the first weeks.
6. First cut — at 8–10 cm; regular care takes over from there.