Lawns: Liming and Rolling

Liming

Liming is a job which should seldom need to be done, if at all. It should only be considered when the lawn is obviously suffering from a lime deficiency.

Signs of lime deficiency are:

• Grass is thin and sparse to look at
• The grass will have tell-tale weeds growing: Lazula campestris (Woodrush), Rumex acetosella (Sheep’s Sorrell) and mosses.
• A quick test of the soil with a ph test will confirm the fact if the ph is below 5.5.

What should I do if all the above apply to my lawn?

An application of 60g of ground limestone per square metre  in autumn or winter. Do not apply ‘ordinary’ garden lime.

What should I do if the above signs do not apply to my lawn?

Simply do not use lime.

Generally if you really do need to increase the acidity in the soil, use Lawn Sand and incorporate peat in a top dressing in autumn.

Rolling

The purpose of a using a roller is to firm up the surface of an already smooth lawn and not to bash down the bumps.

Rollers are used in sprig to firm turf which has been lifted by frost. Some mowers do have a roller built into them, in which case, using the mower with the blades in the air at this time can help. Choose a day when the grass is dry and soil moist and remove worm casts and any surface debris before rolling.

That said rolling is best left to the experts! Generally, in the hands of a general gardener, the hollows will get bigger and the effect will be worse than before.

Lawn Care:
 Jobs to do
 Equipment
 Mowing
 When do I cut my grass?
 Top dressing
 Feeding
 Watering
 Trimming
 Raking and brushing
 Aerating
 Liming and Rolling

Lawn Problems:
 Pests
 Diseases
 Weeds
 Brown patches
 Repairs