Autumn lawn-care tips

It’s the perfect season for seeding, laying new turf, feeding and controlling weeds.

When starting a lawn from seed you'll always get better results by sowing when conditions are gentle and the moisture you apply stays in the soil – which is why autumn is ideal. The varieties in Yates premium lawn seeds germinate readily in autumn and, because they prefer cool conditions, they'll continue growing through the winter months and into next spring. Thus, they'll be well established before they're forced to cope with the stresses of their first summer.

Yates premium lawn seed range includes, Yates Luxury Lawn Seed, Yates Made for Shade Lawn Seed, Yates Mow It Less Lawn Seed, Yates Sow Anytime Lawn Seed and Yates Tuffgrass Lawn Seed. These can be used to grow an entire new lawn, or to oversow or patch an existing one. For smaller areas of patching or repairing dog pee patches there is Yates Easy Patch Lawn Repair and Yates Quick Fix Lawn Seed. Be sure to cover the seed by raking it into the freshly cultivated soil.

Maintaining a consistent moisture level is a critical factor for success when growing grasses from seed. Don't let the soil dry out at all until the seedlings have emerged. Once germinated, water more deeply but less often, and the grass will gradually be trained into developing a deeper, more drought-resistant root system.

The quickest way to get a new lawn is by laying turf. Turf's the term for ready-grown grass rolls that come with a thin layer of soil protecting the roots.

In order for the lawn to establish well, the roots of the grass must be encouraged to grow from the turf down into the soil. It's obvious that this will happen far more readily if the soil is well-prepared beforehand. Remove weeds before you start by spraying with Zero weedkiller.

Cultivate to a depth of about 10-15 cm like you would if sowing a new lawn from seed and mix in some Dynamic Lifter Organic Lawn Food prior to levelling. This will encourage the new turf to produce roots quickly and deep into the freshly cultivated soil beneath. When the new turf is in place, water well.

Autumn is an important time to feed established lawns. This helps get them into top condition before the cold weather arrives. Yates Dynamic Lifter Organic Lawn Food, which combines organic chicken manure, Blood & Bone, Fish manure and Seaweed is ideal for promoting healthy grass and enriching the soil beneath.

One of the easiest ways to feed the lawn and, at the same time, control weeds is by applying Yates Weed ‘n' Feed. Yates Weed ‘n' Feed comes either in a convenient liquid hose-on pack, or as a dry granular formulation. If your lawn is weed-free and you just need to feed there is also the easy to apply (no dust or smell) Yates Lawn Fertiliser Hose On 2L and the cost effective Thrive Granular Lawn Food.