Autumn gardening - Lawn care

It's traditional to give lawns a pick-me-up in September, to revitalise them after dry summer weather and to ensure they are fit enough to get through winter. You may be feeling that this isn't going to be an issue for you, but waterlogged or flooded lawns need even more tender loving care in autumn.

Begin by controlling moss, which is often found in patches under trees or hedges. Treat by spreading a moss-killer across the lawn unless you're an organic grower. To control most you need to change the circumstances that cause it, so remove branches or lower, wider hedge growth as they both cast shade, alternately you will need to improve drainage. Remove the dead moss by vigorously raking the surface with a spring-tined lawn rake which will also lift old grass clippings and other debris that can build up on the surface of the lawn preventing good drainage and encouraging weeds and turf diseases by causing pockets of moist damp air that allow spores and bacteria to thrive.

Areas of the lawn that get heavy traffic tend to become compacted which will cause problems with drainage, weeds and moss. Improve this by coarse aerating. First cut your grass short, then aerate by pushing a garden fork into the ground then tipping it backwards and forwards to make narrow channels. Repeat this every four to six inches across the lawn, now you need to brush sand across the surface of the grass to fill the holes, allowing air and water into the penetrate deeper into the compacted areas.

If you've been flooded in the past, the best method to keep disease-free is to aerate your lawn as best you can, as soon as you can though if conditions are especially wet, you may have to wait for the ground to dry, or even for groundwater to be pumped away. Wet ground, especially lawn, can suffer serious structural damage if walked on, so you may feel that it's necessary to hire a powered aerating machine to help you get your law winter ready.

To finish off, perk up tired lawns by giving them a feed. Use an autumn lawn fertiliser, which is high in phosphates and potash - but don't do this if serious rain is forecast as it will only be washed away. If your lawn is flooded after you use autumn fertiliser, just wait until spring and use a nitrogen rich spring feed instead.

Autumn lawn care photograph by Xerones, used under a creative commons attribution licence