Posted June 8, 2022
Keeping a neat garden and lawn in particular takes discipline and a keen eye for detail. But the benefits of a visually appealing lawn and the satisfaction of a job well done can brighten up any gardener’s weekend.
MetroGreen has been keeping the lawns of New Zealand looking fresh for over 25 years and we’re passionate about making our tips and tricks widely available.
To keep a neat lawn, you’ll want to clean up, trim down, and grab out any weeds that have snuck into the mix. Not to mention throwing a lawn roller or some fertiliser in for a polished final product.
But of course, there’s far more to it than you might consider at first glance…
Grab your rake, put your pedantic hat on and remove every stick, leaf and fruit (if applicable) that’s fallen on your canvas. You want a blank slate before you get into the nitty-gritty of a neat lawn. This includes any broken garden furniture or decoration that you may have allowed to remain rent-free for too long.
Only before this top layer of litter is removed can you focus on the finer details, so take your time and get it looking presentable.
This will be your most regular and important step to maintain a neat lawn, so get it right and get into a routine to ensure it doesn’t feel like too much of an arduous chore every time.
If your mobility isn’t what it used to be, MetroGreen has a few litter picking tools that can give you some extra reach. Check out our Heavy Duty Litter Picker to make your lawn life a little easier.
Not only can a compost heap serve as a sustainable destination for much of your organic waste, but once this has decomposed it will provide you with buckets of free mulch, soil or fertiliser.
Just make sure to do your research about what can and can’t be composted before you chuck everything in there.
This will provide a nice home for that leaf litter and fruit you just picked up - but the sticks, not so much.
Now it’s time to take a closer look at your lawn. You will soon come to know exactly what kinds of grass should make it all up and which species are imposters.
There are dozens of types of weeds, but some of the most common you will come across in New Zealand include Ivy, Oxalis, Periwinkle, Thistles, Dandelions or Clovers. Some come with flowers making them easier to identify while others take a keener eye.
MetroGreen offers a range of tools and sprayers to mitigate the onslaught of these fast-growing garden foes. This includes our weeding fork, daisy grubber and the Solo portable sprayers.
If removing your weeds by hand isn’t doing the trick and the pesky intruders keep returning, you may find that some liquid weed killer is the only answer. And if you do opt for weed killer, make sure to use gloves and glasses to protect your eyes and skin from any harsh chemicals.
Make sure to undertake weeding before you move onto cutting as this will make them easier to find and remove.
Once your weeds are removed, take a lawn mower to the grass and remove roughly a third of the grass’ length - though this length changes slightly depending on your type of grass.
The trick with lawn mowing is to cut regularly - about once a week - and change up the direction you cut each time. The different direction will promote better growth, as the blades grow straight up and leave room for more to sprout in between.
Once the body of your lawn is mowed, focus on the edges. It will help to have a whipper snipper on hand, and a half moon edger wouldn’t hurt either - otherwise you’ll be left with scissors and a lot of patience!
Use a piece of wood or some twine to designate a clear edge to your lawn, and use the edger to cut along the line.
Once your lawn has a clean, straight edge, use the whipper snipper to even off the edges to the same height as you’ve mowed the rest of the lawn.
And there you have it! Your lawn should be looking good as new and your blank slate will be ready for you to gaze upon all week. Just remember to make this a regular practice so that you only have to do the hard yards once.
If you’re ever in doubt about the gardening process or any of the above, don’t hesitate to contact MetroGreen for all your garden care advice.
We have vast experience in gardens across New Zealand and are dedicated to welcoming even more gardeners to our humble community.