Fact Sheet Three - Download here THE GARDENERS DIARY
WEEK 3
17th October 2004 HOW TO:
REPAIR THE HOLES IN YOUR LAWN: Choose your grass seed depending on the type of lawn you have and the location of the area you want to repair. Some grass is better suited to bright open areas and some can be used in more shaded areas. Grass seed also ranges from the economy variety to the bowling green type seed so make the choice depending on your needs
Lighten up the soil in the hole by loosening it with a fork or trowel. You want to avoid the soil in the hole being compacted.
Use sterilised top soil to fill the hole. Sterilised top soil means it should be weed free. You can buy this from any good garden centre.
Once you have filled in the hole, compact the loose soil with your foot to level it out. Add more topsoil at this point to make sure the hole is level with the rest of the lawn.
Lightly run a rake or fork over the top soil just to loosen slightly. You can put some lawn fertiliser down but it is not essential.
It's now time to scatter your seed over the prepared area and lightly tease the seed in with a fork.
Many types of grass seed have a built in deterrent to stop birds and animals eating it.
Water lightly if required. HOW TO
CREATE A BORDER: Clear all stones, rubble and rubbish from the area you have chosen for your border.
Using a can of spray paint or garden marker, which you can buy from any garden centre, mark out where you want your border to be.
Aim for a border width of about 60cm. but the border doesn't have to be straight and you can use curves if you want. By using a can of marker you can experiment.
Using a lawn edging tool go over the area that you have sprayed cutting into the ground and move the edging tool gently backward and forward to create a gap between the edge of the grass and the border.
Using a spade lift any grass that is now within your border area.
Clear all remaining weed, grass and single dig the soil (see fact sheet 1).
It is now a good idea to leave the area for a week or two and see what grows back.
Remove any weed's that grow back and if necessary use something like Glyphosate (Round Up) making sure you follow the instructions carefully.
You might want to use some kind of lawn edging material to make sure your grass does not encroach into your border.
THE DIARY
Give Attention to Rockeries and Alpine Beds.
Weeds should be removed manually and leaves from deciduous trees and shrubs should be collected up and placed on the compost heap. Straggly plants should be trimmed up and tidied. Certain rosette-type plants like Lewsia's will need their crowns protecting. These plants can rot off if they stay too wet for too long. Place a small plastic or glass cloche over the plant Use a general-purpose fertiliser like Vitax Q4 to top dress soil. Top dressing is basically when you give a light covering of fertilizer or compost to soil areas. You can if you wish hoe it into the soil, which will help the soil stay aerated but just a covering is sufficient. Water sparingly Make sure that the pot requires moisture before applying some more. When watering, be very careful and do not splash any moisture onto the floor as any excess water could enforce an outbreak of mildew. Remember to water before midday and try and keep the water away from the crown of your plants. If you do accidentally splash too much water ventilate the greenhouse to remove this excess moisture preferably between mid-morning and early afternoon. Sow Field Beans for a nitrogen fix. With plenty of gaps appearing on the vegetable patch or allotment why not sow some Winter Field Beans to gain a good nitrogen fix for the coming season. The regular use of green manures like Winter Field Beans can help improve soil structure and increase the soil fertility. The Winter Field Bean is related to various other Legumes like Broad Beans. Sow in rows 5cm deep and 20cm apart form late September through till the end of November These will grow through the winter on any type of soil especially heavy clay soil. Dig the plants in the spring but if you leave them to get too high chop down before they flower. They will grow to height of 75cm. Time running out for Other Jobs. Your lawn needs its last cut. Don't forget to raise the cut on your lawnmower. Hedges should also have a final cut. Try and give them a rounded top to avoid snow disrupting the shape of the hedge during the winter months. Save your summer bedding plants. See fact sheet 2 for instructions. Listen to The Gardener's Diary with Luke Ashmead on BBC Three Counties Radio every Sunday afternoon at 2.00pm Contact The Gardener's Diary Here BBC Three Counties Radio 98, 103.8, 95.5 and 104.5FM | 
