Gardening: It's time to give lawns attention

With one of the driest summers on record you could be forgiven for forgetting about your lawn, but with rains predicted for this month, now is the time to start thinking about preparing your patch for a new lawn, or giving an existing lawn a little bit of TLC to help it bounce back to 50 shades of green.

Autumn is the traditional time to sow a new lawn, because the soil temperatures are warm and the soils generally moist.

Even in areas with water restrictions and drought, the first steps to preparing a lawn can be started now.

New lawns

Step 1. Choose a lawn seed that will suit your climate and lifestyle. TheTui Superstrike Lawn Seed range offers a good variety that are quick to germinate and establish.

Blends have been developed to suit a number of growing conditions - from the robust Hardwearing and Hot & Dry blends, to Shady Places for dark areas that get little sun, and the Easycare blend for a fast-establishing yet slow-growing lawn (which means less mowing).

Step 2. Spray the area to remove weeds, cultivate the soil to a fine tilth and remove all the clods and stones.

Then compact and level the area, and blend in a layer of Tui Lawn Preparation Mix to provide lawn seed with a base of essential nutrients and fertiliser.

Step 3. Sprinkle Tui Superstrike Lawn Seed evenly over the bare area, being careful to ensure even coverage. Rake seed in lightly.

Step 4. Water evenly and try to avoid creating puddles as the seed may float into the hollow areas, leaving bare patches in the new lawn. Superstrike will germinate in as little as seven days under ideal conditions.

Step 5. While a new lawn is establishing itself, avoid walking on the area if possible. Keep soil moist and weed-free.

Step 6. When the grass reaches 5-10cm, lightly mow the new lawn, only cutting back the grass by a few centimetres. Light mowing encourages a stronger root system and a healthier lawn.

Water-saving lawn tips

Use grey water from the laundry, bathroom and kitchen to water dry, parched lawns.

Add Debco SaturAid to your lawn to help water distribution so it won't dry out as fast, providing some insurance towards a successful lawn.

Existing lawn care

Feed: Invest in your lawn in autumn by rewarding it with an application of lawn fertiliser.

A healthy and robust lawn will have a much better chance of enduring the winter than a malnourished one.

Apply lawn fertiliser before rain, or water in after application.

Reseed: It's easy to patch up an existing lawn with small "lawn patch" seed packets available in the shops. Simply rake over the bare patches to loosen up the soil, even out any lumps and bumps, then sprinkle on a Tui Superstrike Patch Pack. Water and wait for a week or so for the new grass to germinate.