Lawn Improver

What is the Lawn Improver Service?

The Lawn Improver is a lawn renovation service that we advise customers to undergo every 1-3 years, depending on the conditions surrounding their lawn. This is a routine maintenance service to help reduce thatch and moss layers in the lawn to allow it to thrive.

Sometimes even a lawn that appears in good condition could be suffering from thatch build-up. If your lawn is drying out and yellowing quickly, this could be a clear indication of this.

This service includes the following:

Pre-renovation Treatment
Lawn Improver Renovation Visit

Pre-Renovation Treatment:

In the weeks prior to renovating, an iron-based treatment is vital to the process and will achieve much better results by blackening and desiccating (de-hydrating) the top layers of moss, allowing the scarifier to efficiently remove significantly more unwanted matter from the lawn. In its desiccated state, the ability of the moss spores to reproduce will also be greatly inhibited. Even where moss is not obvious, this treatment has been shown to improve the scarification process.

Micro-nutrients present in this treatment will also aid general health, colour, and provide a quicker recovery of the lawn post-scarification.

Lawn Improver Renovation Visit:

The Lawn Improver Renovation Visit is designed to reduce the moss and thatch layers in the lawn, decompact the soil and promote new grass growth.

The visit includes the following step by step process:

A double-pass scarification using our professional-grade scarifiers
Debris (moss/thatch) removed from the lawn and placed in builders bags/compost heap/garden bins
A single-pass aeration to loosen the soil structure and encourage new grass growth (provided access is possible for machinery)
If any small bare patches appear after scarification, these will be seeded using a professional-grade grass mix

Please note, we cannot lift the aerator machine due to health and safety reasons.

Why scarify the lawn?

The reduction of thatch is the main objective of scarification. Over time, grass clippings, leaves and dead organic matter will result in the build-up of thatch layers at the base of the grass plant. TopGrass use a professional, powerful scarifier, with solid blades, to significantly reduce this layer. The removal also helps to reduce the build-up of moss as thatch is an ideal growing medium for this. Less thatch also means water and nutrients will reach the grassroots efficiently, while also reducing the chance of fungal diseases taking hold.

Benefits of Scarifying are:

Promotes a healthy lawn
Encourages new growth
Reduces risk of lawn disease
Reduces risk of lawn pests
Reduces impact of lawn pest damage
Improves drainage
Nutrients get access to root system
Mowing becomes easier
Reduces effects of drought conditions

Why aerate the lawn during renovation?

As executed on the best sports venues, this professional machine penetrates the top layers of the soil to aid aeration and improve drainage and dispersal of nutrients around the root zone. This is especially good for the heavier soils and those with compaction. Moss will also thrive on compacted soils, so decompaction through aeration will help to reduce moss levels naturally.

Benefits of aerating in the renovation process are:

Air can get down to the root zone, which allows the grass plant to breathe. This also oxygenates the bacteria living in the soil, which in turn helps to break down dead organic matter in the lawn.
Water is able to penetrate the soil and reach the root system more effectively, encouraging a quicker recovery post-scarification.
Fertiliser nutrients from subsequent treatments have improved access to the root system.
Compacted soil is fractured, allowing the root system to grow and spread more easily. A stronger root system, means a stronger plant and competition is less likely to encroach on the lawn.