175: How scarification changes everything

February 22, 2023

Today is a scarification day.

We're just ahead of the growing season, but things are in patches starting to grow.

Which is ideal for lawn scarification, early spring is the best time of year to scarify your lawn.

The one thing about a lawn that never stops surprises me is this, your lawn can only get better or worst, it can never stay the same.

Why?

Every year, every season is different.

How it grows will be different.

How it's cut will be different.

How the weather is will be different, obviously.

How it struggles in summer will be different (depending on hosepipe bans).

How moss and weeds build up in the lawn will be different.

So some years like this year there is a bit of work to do to pull the lawns back into order.

Last year (2022) it was a hot and very dry summer season, tricky for lawns, there was a hose pipe ban very early, and therefore lots and lots of lawns would have been cut a tad too short coming out of summer in to autumn and winter.

A short cut out of a hot season is a pure 100% action that will lead to moss and thatch.

So what the lawns now have in buckets is the build up of two challenges.

Moss. Lots and lots of fluffy moss, that's grown at a super fast rate, but is easy to deal with.

Thatch. Lots and lots of stressed and tired grass would have died off, it will be sitting there at the base of the grass, just waiting to STOP water getting to the grass roots and helping the moss get a grip on the proceedings.

So, it's time to get the lawns back.

Some may see scarification as damaging, it is if we're honest, but it's needed.

What's the option? Left moss and thatch leads to weaker and weaker grass growth, it leads to greater thatch development, and greater chance of moss build up. With that said thatch and moss are also great habitats for chafer grubs and over active worms, which could lead to extensive damage.

So take haste my friends... take action now.

The good news is f you do your scarification alongside a good moss killer and a good nigh nitrogen feed - AND more importantly at the right time of year, you'll have things all back in order before anyone really notices.

Here's today's podcast

https://anchor.fm/allgardening/episodes/175-How-scarification-changes-everything-e1vc8jh