RHS Year 2 week 30 presentation

1. RHS Level 2
Certificate
Week 30 – Lawns. Maintenance and
Pests and Diseases.

2. Learning Objectives
6.6 Describe the annual maintenance programme for
quality ornamental and for hard-wearing utility lawns.
6.7 Describe the range of equipment used for mowing,
feeding, scarifying and aerating lawns.
6.8 Describe the symptoms of a range of common lawn
pests and diseases, including red thread, Fusarium
patch, fairy rings, leatherjackets and moles; state an
appropriate control measure for EACH.
6.9 Describe the life cycle of one named fungal disease
6.10 Describe the relationship between life cycle and
control for the disease in 6.9

3. Mowing
Needs doing for as long as the grass is growing –
average soil temperature over 7°C.
Do not remove more than one-third of the grass blade
at any one time.
Less frequent and higher cut in dry weather – stops
grass from going brown.
Height – 1.2 – 2.5cm for luxury lawns, 2.5 – 5cm for
utility lawns.
Every 2 weeks in the late autumn or mild winter; every
3 days for luxury and once a week for utility in the
summer.

4. Lawn Mowers
Cylinder mower – good for luxury lawns, roller
gives stripes. Not good for long or wet grass.
Blades need regular sharpening.
Rotary mower – good all round use but less fine
finish. Good on longer and damp grass. Annual
sharpening.
Hover Mower – good on slopes and long grass,
damp grass. Height adjustment approximate.
Annual sharpening.

5. Watering
Thoroughly rather than little and often.
Grass recovers from drought
Leaving grass longer reduces
browning.
Aeration and scarification assist water
penetration.

6. Feeding
High nitrogen in spring/summer
High phosphorous in autumn to give
cold hardiness and encourage root
development.
Do not over feed as this encourages
fungal disease.
Granular formulations must be
watered in if no rain falls.

7. Weed and moss control
Cultural control most effective – thick healthy
turf not a good environment for weeds etc.
Hand weeding and scarifying
Chemical controls – spot or selective
weedkiller; lawn sand (ferrous sulphate,
ammonium sulphate and silver sand) for moss.
Granular formulations need watering in if no
rain.

8. Aeration and scarification
Aeration – forming holes with either garden
fork or hollow tine aerator.
Improves drainage and water and air
penetration.
Scarification – removing moss and thatch with
a spring tined wire rake.
Allows water penetration, encourages growth,
removes moss and reduces fungal disease.
Both done either spring or autumn.

9. Top Dressing
Mix of fine organic matter,
loam and sand spread dry
onto the lawn.
Fills hollows and improves
soil structure
Done after aeration
Worked in with a broom or
lawn lute

10. Lawn Pests - Leatherjackets
Larvae of Crane Fly
Eat grass roots; badgers
dig them up to eat
Controls - predatory
nematode Stienanerma
feltiae applied August to
October.
Trap under moist black
plastic
Imidacloprid drench

11. Lawn Diseases – Fairy
Rings
Caused by fungal infection
Dark green rings do not
absorb water well and die off
in summer.
Expand over the years
No amateur chemical
control.
Dig out
Scarify to remove thatch.

12. Fusarium patch
Yellowing patches of grass that show
white/pink fungal growth in damp weather.
Over fertilized, damp lawns; Poa sp. most
affected.
Control – do not over feed; spores persist on
dead grass so scarify to remove; aerate to
improve drainage.
No amateur chemical controls – easily re-
occurs if growing conditions not improved.

13. Red Thread
Fungal disease of nutrient
poor damp lawns.
Red fruiting bodies emerge
from dead grass.
Fertilize in spring; scarify to
remove dead grass and
thatch. Aerate to improve
drainage.

14. Learning Outcomes
6.6 Describe the annual maintenance programme for
quality ornamental and for hard-wearing utility lawns.
6.7 Describe the range of equipment used for mowing,
feeding, scarifying and aerating lawns.
6.8 Describe the symptoms of a range of common lawn
pests and diseases, including red thread, Fusarium
patch, fairy rings, leatherjackets and moles; state an
appropriate control measure for EACH.
6.9 Describe the life cycle of one named fungal disease
6.10 Describe the relationship between life cycle and
control for the disease in 6.9