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Over seeding into an existing lawn is a difficult task. The new seedlings have to compete with the established grasses and they will need all the help they can get to ensure they establish. However there are some factors that can determine how successful you are.

• Soil Compaction – Any soil or rootzone that suffers from compaction will have a detrimental effect on any over seeding program as it will be difficult to get the new seedlings to establish. A compacted soil suffers from lack of oxygen, drainage problems and will impede root development, all to the detriment of your over seeding program. Compaction also encourages shallow rooting weed grasses such as Annual Meadow Grass.
• Excessive Thatch – Thatch is the build up of organic matter between the grass sward and the soil or rootzone. A lawn that has too much thatch will see your over seeding program suffer. The ideal sowing depth is usually below the thatch layer with the seed just coming into contact with the rootzone. This is difficult to achieve if your lawn has excessive thatch. If the seed is sown in the thatch layer it may well germinate but it will be difficult for it to establish successfully.
• Soil Temperature – One of the most important factors that will determine if your over seeding program is successful is the soil temperature. This is the main reason many people favour the late summer over the spring for over seeding, as the soil is warmer in late summer. That said, there is no problem with over seeding during the spring, however results may not always be that great. This year we have had a very cold spring with overnight frosts, which haven’t been great for over seeding with reports of some inconsistent results.
• Irrigation and watering – Another factor on your program is the use of water. All new seed need water to germinate and establish successfully. However getting the balance right is important, apply enough to keep the soil moist, not too wet or too dry.
• Mechanical operations prior to over seeding – Operations such as aeration or scarification and raking can be be beneficial in helping seed to germinate and establish successfully. These operations help create a seed bed where the seed comes into contact with the rootzone which will help with both germination and establishment of the seed.
  

Buying a lawn mower can be an expensive exercise so choosing a suitable one for your lawn is an important decision. There are two main types of mower available, these are rotary and cylinder mowers.

Rotary mowers are generally the cheaper mower and are less complicated than cylinder mowers. Rotary mowers are ideal for all types of lawn except fine turf luxury lawns. These mowers cut the grass by means of a blade or blades that runs parallel with the lawn and spins very quickly cutting the grass as the mower travels. They can be powered by electric and petrol, they can be walk behind or ride on. The only downside to these mowers is that they don’t leave as good a quality finish as a cylinder mower.

The other type of mower is a cylinder mower. If you have a luxury lawn that is mown very short, this type of mower is essential. Like rotary mowers they can be powered by electric and petrol and in some cases push mowers requiring only man power are still available. Again they are available in both walk behind and ride on. These type of mowers are more complex than rotary mowers. It is important not to let your lawn get out of hand with this type of mower as they don’t cope well with overgrown lawns.

Other things to consider when buying a mower is the power source, an electric cable following you when you cut especially if you have many tight areas can be a nuisance.

The size of lawn, especially if you have a large lawn is something to think about as you may want to opt for a ride on mower to save time unless you enjoy the exercise.

We are currently well into the month of May. Most gardeners have completed their spring lawn renovation program and are experiencing some nice consistent growth on their lawns, especially after a welcome wet spell.

With this comes the emergence of many types of common lawn and turf weeds. Daisy, buttercup, dandelion, clover, plantain and trefoil are all starting to grow now. If left to grow these will become a major nuisance and can quickly spoil a well maintained luxury lawn. 

Late May – early June is the ideal time for weed control on lawns. This is because growth should be strong (strong growth helps when using chemical weed killers) and hopefully the weed problem is not too severe at this early stage of the season.

If you have already used a combined feed and weed product earlier in the season you may have controlled any weed activity. These products are excellent for both feeding and weeding the lawn together. This is because for the most effective weed control it is essential for the grass to be growing strongly, this is where the fertiliser ingredient of the product comes into play.

However if weeds are starting to appear some kind of weed control program will be needed. If only a few plants are present consider hand weeding as no one wants to spray chemicals unless absolutely necessary. If chemicals are needed consider treating the areas where only the weeds are present if possible.

If you go down the route of applying chemicals the weeds will need identifying prior to application. A useful source of weed identification can be found at lawnweeds.co.uk. It is important to correctly identify the weeds you are treating as different chemicals control different weeds. You can get more advice on these products and which to use from your local garden center who will stock a choice of selective weed killers.

For the best results let don’t mow the lawn for at least 3 days before and after treatment has taken place. The reason being the weed leaf has time to grow so the chemical has a large target area and the chemical also has time to penetrate into the weed before the leaf is removed by mowing.

As always when using any type of chemical be sure to follow the manufacturers application and health & safety guidelines at all times.