Lawn Treatments Belfast: What’s available and what does it cost?

Is your garden looking a bit sorry for itself? By applying the right lawn treatments at the right time, you can really perk things up and it’s not as expensive as you might think. In this blog we’re looking at lawn treatments Belfast – and what’s available in your area.

Which Lawn Treatments does my garden need?

Feed and Weed

Our most frequently requested service is to apply a feed and weed type lawn treatment. These treatments are great, and I’m happy to help if that’s what you really want, but in all honesty, I’d rather come and assess your lawn to find out if there’s a better, more environmentally friendly alternative.

You see, standard Feed and Weed treatments are basically a blanket of chemicals. They’re a mix of weedkillers and a generic fertiliser that will give your lawn a short-term boost. Rather than throw chemicals around willy-nilly, I prefer to take a more sustainable approach. 

Pale, weed infested grass is usually a symptom of a more deep seated problem.

It could be that your lawn looks sad because it’s gummed up with moss and thatch. Or maybe the soil beneath it is as hard as iron.  I’ll treat those problems first and then give the grass a good feed with the right balance of nutrients for the individual lawn. Any stubborn weeds that survive the scarifying can be spot treated with professional grade herbicide. Professional grade herbicides are more effective so you don’t need to keep repeating the dosage.

Reviving a worn out lawn

Well-used lawns do get worn out. Grass is tough, but it’s not invincible and when the soil beneath it is poorly drained or compacted (these two go hand in hand), the grass finds it more difficult to recover from being trodden on.

A worn out lawn will typically have areas of weak grass or bare soil. There’ll be moss and weeds germinating between grass plants and what should be a deep, vibrant green colour is more like an insipid, yellowy-green.

What’s happening is that the soil beneath the lawn has become compacted. All the tiny soil particles are squished together and neither air nor water can circulate very well. Grass roots need air and water if they are to support healthy green leaves.

My approach here would be to assess the lawn and rule out pests and diseases. Then, if it’s appropriate, I would scarify and aerate the lawn. Finally I’d follow up an application of lawn feed to boost soil nutrients and a seaweed tonic to speed up the recovery process.

For a very tired lawn, I would recommend regular feeds and another aeration in 3-6 months-time.

Lawn treatment for leatherjackets and chafer grubs

Much as I love to see insects and wildlife in a garden, there are two creatures that I don’t want to see many of.  The crane fly (aka Daddy Longlegs) and the May Bug (aka Chafer Beetle). Both of these creatures love lawns as much as I do. But for very different reasons. Where I see a beautiful green carpet for sitting, relaxing and admiring the garden, these insects see a vast expanse of baby food.

Crane Flies and Chafer Beetles will lay their eggs in a lawn in spring and summer. When the eggs hatch, the lavae feed on the grass roots. That’s fine when the creatures are tiny and have small appetites. But come the next spring, these lavae are quite large and they’re very hungry. By the time you notice that your grass is mysteriously dying, it’s too late.

The time to treat your lawn for leather jackets and chafer grubs is late summer.  There are no chemical treatments available but I can apply nematodes – tiny worms that wage battle upon and control the numbers of lavae. 

Autumn scarification can help to remove any eggs and bugs in the thatch layer.

It’s worth noting here that a healthy lawn can cope with a few leatherjackets or chafer grubs. It’s only really when you have either a poorly lawn or a big infestation that the grass is irrepairably damaged.

Read more about leatherjackets here  https://premierlawns.co.uk/how-to-stop-leatherjackets-damaging-your-lawn/

Lawn Maintenance

I’m told that in the world of human health and wellness. Fitness is measured not by strength or speed but by recovery time. The fitter you are, the less time it takes you pick yourself up after exertion. 

Believe it or not, grass and soil are the same.  The better their condition, the quicker they’ll recover from being crushed by feet, furniture or toys.  

Just as an athlete safeguards his or her health with the right diet, body maintenance and living conditions. Regular lawn feeding and maintenance will keep your lawn in good condition.

Lawn mowing

Regular lawn mowing is essential to the health of your lawn. None of this let it grow and then scalp it. That stresses plants more than anything.

• Mow little and often. At least once a week between March and June when the grass is growing fastest
• A family lawn should be maintained at around 5cm long. Many people make the mistake of mowing too short. The grass leaves protect the growing crown of the plant AND they harness the sun’s energy to make plant food.
• Keep your tools sharp. Dull mower blades rip at the grass and leave open wounds. Replace or sharpen the cutters as often as you can.
• Don’t forget to trim the edges of the lawn – it really does make a big difference to the look of the whole garden.
• As a general rule of thumb, clippings should be removed. However, on really summery days they can be allowed to fall back into the sward where they will help conserve moisture. Remember “when it’s dry, let them fly”

Want your lawn to look really good? Try mowing in some stripes.

How to mow stripes into your lawn  

Lawn feeding

We’ve briefly mentioned clippings. Grass takes nutrients from the soil and carbon dioxide from the air to make food. That food is used to grow the leaves. When you or I cut the lawn, we’re effectively stealing the plant’s food stores. In order to replenish its stocks, the plant needs more nutrients from the soil. If theyre not available, the plant will be poorly nourished, weak and unable to grow properly. Consequently, your lawn will be disappointing. It will look sad and perform badly.

Regular lawn feeding replaces all of those nutrients and helps the plants to thrive. It also helps to supports soil microbes that fight lawn diseases and keep the plants healthy (soil microbes are the equivalent to vital gut bacteria for people)

It’s important to apply the right balance of nutrients for the time of year, the growth stage of the grass and the soil type. Our lawn treatments are specially formulated to give optimal results.

Lawn watering

If your lawn is established and healthy it absolutely doesn’t need watering during dry weather. The grass leaves might turn brown for a while but that’s OK. Grass is designed to do that.

The only time you need to water your lawn is

• When it’s very young – freshly laid turf and grass seed need extra water while new roots are growing
• When it has just been fed (leaving fertiliser on the leaves can scorch them)

Read my article on coping with drought here 

Scarifying and Aeration Lawn Treatments Belfast

These two lawn treatments definitely count as maintenance in my book. Unless your lawn is heavily used, struggles with shade or is predominantly fine leaved grasses then aeration and scarification are only needed once a year. Normally in early autumn so that it can recover over the winter and be ready for action in springtime.

These two operations together basically improve ventilation around the plant. I know, I know, lawns are outdoors so you’d think they’re already well ventilated. But actually, if you lie on your belly and look closely at a lawn before it’s scarified, you can see that the base of the plants get choked up with what we call thatch. Thatch harbours the spores of common lawn diseases and it holds water around the crown of the plant instead of letting it drain through the soil.  A lawn with lots of thatch will be spongy and makes a terrible golf green because the ball runs slowly across it.

In this video you’ll see how much material can hide in the base of a lawn and why scarification is so important

What do lawn treatments cost?

Lawn treatments should always be bespoke to the garden and the season. Without knowing a little about the size, shape and condition of your lawn it’s very difficult to give a quote.

You may be surprised to learn though that lawn treatments in Belfast start from as little as £15.00*

Learn more about the cost of lawn treatments Belfast area in this article

For a free lawn assessment and no obligation quote, please call me on 02890 869 565 or send me an email to request a call back.  

*price correct at the time of writing.

Lawn treatments to combat specific problems

Here are links to some helpful lawncare articles.

Common lawn weeds and how to treat them  

How to manage moss in your lawn  

Lawns for dogs: How to stop your dog damaging your lawn

Creating and maintaining a beautiful lawn

About Premier Lawns in Belfast

Premier lawns offer lawn treatment services in and around Belfast. We’re a small, independent business employing local people and offering bespoke service to you and your lawn.

Owner Robbie Lynn is a trained greenkeeper and has worked on some of the most prestigious golf courses and lawns in the Belfast area.

Our lawn treatments Belfast include:

• Mowing,
• Feeding,
• Feed and Weed Treatments,
• Weed Control,
• Managing lawn pests and diseases and of course
• renovating and repairing much loved lawns.

You’ll find us working in Belfast, Holywood, Craigavad, Whiteabbey, Jordanstown, Carmoney, Newtownabbey, Glengormley, Mallusk, Templepatrick, Straid, Greenisland, Ballyclare, Ballyrobert, Ballynure, Doagh, Carrickfergus, Whitehead, Islandmagee.

Reviews for Premier Lawns Belfast

Browse our website to find out more about what we do or contact us for more information