Taking care of your lawn in November
As we enjoy the last of the mild weather ahead of the colder, winter months, now is your final opportunity to carry out any cultural treatments such as scarification, aeration and top-dressing, providing the conditions are right.
These treatments should never be carried out in frosty or very wet weather, so plan carefully. For as long as the weather remains mild, the grass will continue to grow. If your lawn requires a trim this month, be sure to use a high cut setting on your mower in order to avoid causing stress to the turf.
It is important to keep your lawn free of any organic matter, such as fallen leaves, that may block out light and moisture from the grass.
If you would like a lawn care specialist to assess your lawn to ensure it is in tip-top condition ahead of winter, give us a call today on 01502 677 019
Your questions answered
Each month, we answer your questions to help you get the most out of your outdoor environment. This month’s question comes from Tom who asks:
“Following the last treatment, the lawn has looked very lush but, over the last week, large numbers of mushrooms and similar fungal growths have sprouted up all over it. I won’t exaggerate and say the lawn is infested with them, but certainly there are a significant number of them. I appreciate the weather has been especially wet and quite mild, which is probably ideal growing conditions for mushrooms, but is there anything we can do to tackle this?"
Mushroom Conditions
Thank you for your question, Tom, you’re right that the warm, wet conditions have instigated the fruiting blooms and there is a limit to how they can be controlled.
Mushrooms will thrive in cool, damp and shady conditions and where there is dead organic material in the sward (thatch) or underneath it, such as old tree roots.
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Keeping it under control
It is a sign of soil with high levels of organic material and nutrients which is a good thing.
You can pick them off to avoid spreading across the lawn or mow them off, but this may spread the spores. Once the weather dries out, they should start to disappear.
Overall, longer term control comes back to good lawn health and the recommendation to scarify to remove thatch and aerate.