Garden & Landscape Directory | Hints & Tips | Apply your spring hair-cutting routine for the perfect lawn

Image of leaves. Photograph by Graham Soult


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Apply your spring hair-cutting routine for the perfect lawn

Rotak 43 LI Cordless Lawnmower. Photograph courtesy of Bosch Lawn & Garden

As winter retreats and our gardens start re-emerging from their hibernation it's the perfect time to give your lawns some much-needed TLC.

And just like a haircut your turf needs a similar treatment to ensure it's a lush oasis by the time the summer arrives. As any barber will tell you, the key principles of a good haircut are to ensure the hair is conditioned and the cutting blades are sharp.

Roger Tombs, gardening expert at Bosch Lawn & Garden, which launches its new range of Ergoflex lawnmowers this spring, explains how similar principles apply to your garden:

1. Condition
After lying fallow all winter your lawn will likely be in need of a little nourishment. Prepare it for the months ahead with a weed, feed and moss-killer treatment to promote growth and eradicate any moss. If it's dry enough, give the lawn a light trim with a quick once-over from a lawnmower set at a high level.

2. Comb
Two or three weeks after treatment, prepare your lawn with a thorough combing to clear the build-up of moss and thatch. Scarify in spring when the grass is coming back to life, either by raking using a scarifier such as the Bosch ALR 900 (RRP £109.99) which is perfect for collecting moss, dead lawn surface growth, leaves and other garden debris, or for a more effective treatment try the Bosch AVR 1100 verticutter (RRP £164.99) for removing rooted thatch and moss.

3. Trim
Mowing your lawn regularly with the right tool is essential. There's a raft of different powers and types to choose from, whether hand, electric, battery-powered or petrol lawnmowers. Choose the one that suits your lawn - and budget. If you have a large garden, then consider more environmentally-friendly battery-powered mowers, or petrol to avoid trailing extra long cord extensions. If you only have a small lawned area, then a hand-powered push mower might be the option. In all cases, mow neatly and in lines to ensure you cover all areas and create a striped effect.

4. Finishing Touches
Once cleared and trimmed, consider adding that extra lustre by scattering grass seeds to encourage new growth, and add some extra fertiliser to encourage a healthy lawn.

Bosch's new range of Ergoflex lawnmowers are lightweight, highly efficient, electric and cordless rotary mowers with a high-tech ergonomic new handle. The sleek design, based around the comfort and simplicity of computer console handsets and comfortable handling of the latest prams and bicycles, ensures support for the entire musculoskeletal system when mowing, particularly the arms and back. The mains-powered Rotak 40 Ergoflex and Rotak 43 Ergoflex, and battery-powered Rotak 34 LI Ergoflex, Rotak 37 LI Ergoflex and Rotak 43 LI Ergoflex are available from all good stockists, starting from £169.99.