When it comes to a minimal-maintenance garden solution, artificial grass is the preferred choice. This is because synthetic lawns don’t require seeding, mowing, or watering; however, this doesn’t necessarily mean that artificial grass is completely maintenance-free. Despite this, autumn is one of the times that low-maintenance artificial grass becomes most effective, as this is a season of natural changes. As a result, gardens with natural grass experience a shift in the appearance of their lawns from a luscious green to a wilted yellow. With synthetic grass, this will never be the case again; however, even artificial lawns require the proper maintenance. So, just how do you go about artificial grass maintenance in the UK autumn?
Does Artificial Grass Require Maintenance?
The number one question on our customers’ lips is, “does artificial grass need maintenance?” In short, yes, artificial lawn maintenance will be required if you want your grass to be durable and look its best at all times. With this being said, just how does one go about the maintenance of artificial grass?
What Maintenance is Required for Artificial Grass?
Regardless of the time of year, artificial grass care and maintenance will be required. Despite this, autumn presents unique challenges in which artificial grass lawn maintenance needs to be adapted accordingly. Discover how to maintain your synthetic lawn this autumn below.
Remove Leaves and Debris
One of the exclusive challenges that autumn brings is excessive fallen leaves, as well as debris caused by winds. Therefore, any leaves and debris should be swiftly removed to avoid them breaking down into the grass itself. The less organic matter that gets into the grass reduces the risk of weeds and moss starting to grow.
When removing leaves from your lawn’s surface, be sure to use a leaf blower, broom, or plastic rake (never metal), so you don’t damage the surface. Using a broom also lifts the pile of grass helping to keep it upright and pro-long the lifespan of your artificial lawn.
Protect Against Moss
As previously mentioned, excess moisture can result in the growth of unwanted moss. What’s more, the shadier conditions of autumn can only facilitate moss growth even further, which can even lead to the presence of mould. Not only can you prevent this from happening by removing debris on the lawn's surface, but regular cleaning can also help maintain the efficiency of your lawn’s drainage. In order to clean your grass, simply give it a rinse and a sweep a few times a year to agitate and remove any moss growth.
Remove Moss
In the instance that you’ve been unable to avoid moss growth, you can treat it with ease if you take action quickly enough. Firstly, hosing down your lawn with decent water pressure should effectively blow moss away. Following this, you can use a garden vac, power brush, or stiff broom to remove the leftover debris. Moss killers and algaecide can be used if your garden is particularly wet or shaded and moss starts to appear.
What About Frost?
During autumn, we’ll likely start to see the first frosts; however, this needn’t be of concern. Our lawns are able to withstand the effects of frost, but you should always take care when walking on synthetic grass that’s frosted over, as it can become slippery. If you need to access your lawn throughout autumn and need to remove frost, be sure to steer away from metal tools, as these can cause damage. Instead, go for a plastic snow shovel to gently scrape the surface. The best cause of action for any snow or frost is to wait until it thaws and melts where possible.
Cleaning
As previously mentioned, regular clean is essential to the performance of your lawn’s drainage system. So long as your lawn is clear, the extra rainfall we experience during autumn could actually be beneficial as a natural cleanser. Despite this, if the autumn is a relatively dry one, you can rinse your lawn to clean as required Commercial synthetic grass cleaners are available; however, a regular rinse and brush should do the job.
Brushing
In order to prevent fibres from matting, you should brush your artificial grass surface using a stiff broom with synthetic bristles (not metal or wire). Be sure to brush against the direction of the fibres, as this will cause the blades to fluff up rather than flatten.
Weed Removal
If your lawn was professionally installed, weeds shouldn’t be unable to grow through the surface. Despite this, autumn breezes can blow seeds through the air, causing them to settle on your lawn’s surface and grow. Since these aren’t rooted in the ground, they’re often easy to remove, but you can add a water-based weed killer twice a year to prevent them from presenting themselves. The occasional weed that may crop up around the perimeter of the lawn can also be removed by hand weeding for best results.
Have Your Synthetic Grass Supplied and Installed by ALC
In order to ensure minimal maintenance, you should invest in quality artificial grass and professional installation. Browse our excellent range and learn more about our installation service here.