Good‘s new gardening expert Zoe Carafice is ready and waiting to solve your dilemmas! Each question published on Zoe’s blog or in Good receives a fab prize from Tui Garden. This week: how to repair bare patches in your lawn.
Email your gardening questions to [email protected] and every question answered in Good or on Zoe’s blog will receive a fab prize from Tui Garden Products!
Q: What is the best way to repair bare patches in your lawn?
–Lily
A: There are two easy ways to repair your lawn depending on the size of the bare patch. If it is a small spot you can simply cut around the dead turf and lift it off (the turf should be about 5cm thick), then dig over the soil underneath to loosen it. From a healthy corner of your law,n cut a piece of turf that fits your spot and set the new patch into your hole, just like a jigsaw puzzle. Sprinkle a good-quality lawn mix over the top of your patch and pat it down firmly. Within a few weeks you’ll never know it was patched!
For larger areas you will need to sow new lawn. To prepare for this, cut away the old turf and rake up the soil below to aerate, then lay a base of lawn mix (this is soil which is specially formulated for growing lawns) about 50mm thick and rake it level. Sprinkle generously with lawn seed and keep it moist while the seed germinates. Let the new grass grow to 5-10cm before mowing so that it can establish a strong root system. Spring is a good time to repair and sow lawns ready to be enjoyed this summer!
–Zoe Carafice
Lily has won a Tui Easycare Patch Pack and a bucket of Saturaid from Tui Garden Products! The Easycare Patch Pack is designed to repair and enhance damaged or bare areas in existing lawns. This quality blend of fine turf ryegrass and turf fescue will produce a lush, green, fine textured lawn.
Tui Superstrike seed protection is a revolutionary treatment which encourages fast germination of lawn seed; seven days under suitable growing conditions. This treatment protects seed from insects, fungal diseases and birds without the need for a thick coating.
Saturaid is a unique and worthwhile addition to all gardens. It saves you time and money as it reduces water use by up to 50 percent. It promotes even water distribution so there is less water run off and dry spots in potting mix and soils.
Meet Good’s new gardening expert
Zoe Carafice is a landscape designer and photographer. She won gold at the Ellerslie Flower Show in 2007 and has a keen interest in sustainable design and organic gardening.
Email your gardening questions to [email protected] and every question answered in Good or on Zoe’s blog will receive a fab prize from Tui Garden Products!
One question will be featured in each magazine and in each Good Fortnightly e-newsletter. Don’t receive our newsletter? Sign up to get it here!
