October 2018
Nights are fast drawing in and with loosing an hour of daylight when the clock change, this month always feels like a race against time. It’s a last chance to get those lawn jobs done while the soil is moist but still warm.
It is perfect conditions now for grass seed to germinate so if you haven’t already done so there’s still time to repair any dead patches in your lawn. For best results, mow your lawn first then rake it over thoroughly with a springbok rake to remove dead grass and moss before you sow your seed. This will give the seed better contact with the soil and aid germination. Your lawn will also benefit from a spiking all over about 4 inches deep with a garden fork, this will allow air into the soil and help water drain away over the winter and maintain a healthy root system.
It’s also not too late to apply nematodes to your lawn to kill the leather jackets that I mentioned in last month’s blog. If you don’t want the expense and don’t mind the work involved there is another way dealing with the little blighters. Water the lawn thoroughly and then lay a black plastic sheet over the surface. In the morning you will find many of them have come to the surface and can be picked up by hand. You can then squash them or if you’re squeamish it may be a better idea to put them to good use as a feast on the bird table.
If you’re not sure what you are looking for they are brown, very ugly and about an inch long.
The Loftus gardeners are in the process of autumn turf maintenance and will continue to mow the grass until the cold weather stops growth or ground conditions get too messy under foot.
The one job that is continuous throughout the year, with the autumn and winter months being no exception, is weeding. It’s a never ending job, just wish all our plants at Loftus would grow as fast as the weeds do.
The one wild flower meadow was given it’s yearly cut last month and the other one in the children’s park will shortly follow suit. We will be over seeding with extra flower seed to boost the floral content as some of the more weedy looking plants have become dominant. It’s still a fabulous habitat from an insect’s point of view but we want it pleasing to the human eye as well.
Hedges will soon receive a last trim to tidy them up for the winter and the final planting of the street beds and front garden hedges is well underway. The kitchen garden is under construction and looking good.
The bridges and benches will be treated with preservative before winter sets in.
All in all Loftus Garden Village is not far off finally being finished so hopefully my next blog will be saying “after four long years it’s time to break out the bubbly and toast a job well done to everyone involved in it’s making.”