Lawn weed and feed products are often available as powder or pellets from many garden centers, DIY shops, and you can even find cheaper basic versions in the supermarkets.

If you don’t follow the instructions precisely you may end up like my friend with a lawn which not only did not benefit from the treatment but was in fact damaged by the powder. The key thing with this type of product is watering and this is why it is usually recommended to apply the weed and feed pellets just before rain is forecast.

What do you do if your lawn has been damaged by weed and feed?

Unfortunately the manufacturers often don’t include tips on the box on how to improve your lawn when things go wrong. And yet this happens to many of us – especially when the rain fails to show!

In my experience the best thing that you can do is to water your lawn generously. This will allow you to dilute the effect of the weed killer and fertilizer and help your lawn recover from the chemical stress. After a while your lawn will recover and grow back to its former glory.

I didn’t have any further tips to provide to my friend on this occasion but if you know how to make it better, please leave a comment!

Relax on the lawn

I’m no expert at growing a perfect lawn however I have a few tips for the occasional gardener who is keen to get the green spruced up and ready for the forthcoming good days of barbecues and play in the garden.

Lawn care Tip no.1: patch it up

Spring time marks the beginning of the lawn growing season. Now is a good time to get started by removing carefully any weeds which may have creeped up in your lawn such as daisies or dandelion. Then carefully patch up the gap left with some ‘heavy duty’ type lawn seeds and water well to help with germination.

Lawn care Tip no.2: regular cuts

I carry out my first cut of the year with a lawn mower by having the blade at a higher ground level. Otherwise I may end up with a ‘mushy’ untidy lawn cut. Future lawn cuts will allow me to level out the effect.
You can use the grass cutting in the compost bin or incorporate some of it in the trenches where you plant your potato seeds (see more on growing potatoes).

Lawn care Tip no.3: scarify for good health

I recommend scarification as a good exercise (physical too) which is essential to remove the moss off the lawn. I also try to fork my lawn in spring in order to aerate it and encourage growth.

Lawn care Tip no.4: fertilize

Feed it at least twice a year: spring and summer. You can also find fertilizers with a combined moss killer component which can be very handy.

My final tip: when the weather gets hot leave that lawn alone!

It may look dry and unkempt but a little sprinkling of hose water will not do much good and represents a complete wastage of water. The lawn will come back to its former glory at the next rainfall.