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Your guide to buying a new lawn mower or ride-on tractor

Getting started

Whether you are looking for a petrol or electric lawnmower, a small ride-on tractor to ease the burden of lawn cutting, or the power and performance of a larger machine, WG Gardencare Machinery have over 15 years of specialist expertise to draw from to make the process of buying and owning these machines much easier.

For many ordinary lawns a petrol or electric push mower or a self-propelled petrol model for larger, sloping lawns will do the job perfectly and but if your lawn is half an acre or larger a lawn tractor could be a better choice.

How to choose

1. Consider what you want your lawn mower or ride-on tractor to do. Most mowers have features that mulch, bag, or side-discharge the grass cuttings. It really depends what facilities you have to compost the waste you get after each cut.

2. Check the features and controls. Most ride-on tractors allow you to speed up or slow down with a convenient pedal or lever. With self-propelled mowers, some models let you vary your speed simply by pushing the handlebar, whilst others let you adjust the ground speed without removing your hands from the handlebar.

3. If your property is hilly then tractors with a zero-turn or rear-steering wheels will not suit a steep gradient as, although they are capable of doing tight turns, this makes them difficult to control on steep slopes. Exceptions to this include mowers that have steerable front wheels instead of the usual levers.

If you are considering buying a new lawn mower or ride-on tractor ready for spring and still don’t know where to start then contact Graham or Jeremy today or call 01403 700743 and we will be happy to help you decide which type of mower is right for you. And our servicing and free delivery makes it an even easier way to make the right choice.

Getting your Lawn Mower ready for winter

Take a bit of time and care to maintain and store your lawn mower or garden tractor properly in the winter, and you will have no problems getting started again in the spring.

How WG Gardencare Machinery Ltd can help.

Although most people can generally care for their Lawnmower or Garden Tractor during the season, many choose the convenience and security of having a professional do the final maintenance service before putting the machine away for the winter. We recommend doing this now, not only to maintain its performance, but also to avoid the spring rush so you are ready to get going when the grass starts to grow in the spring!

At WG Gardencare Machinery Ltd we have excellent workshop facilities and highly trained staff who will take care of all your winter servicing needs. We specialise in servicing and repairing all types of professional and domestic garden machinery including two and four stroke mowers and commercial diesel tractors. Plus we offer a FREE collection and delivery service throughout West Sussex and Surrey.

So contact us today or call 01403 700743 and we will be happy to help.

Autumn Lawn Care – Part 2

As the weather starts to change the grass on your lawn will be growing much more slowly. For this reason it’s important to adjust the cutting height on your lawnmower so the cut is higher. You now only need to mow about once a fortnight but this will depend on whether we continue to have such mild days and nights! As always, maintain your mower in good condition and keep the blades sharp. Contact us if your lawn mower needs a service or blades sharpening on 01403 700743.

Feeding & Conditioning

Feeding your lawn in the Autumn will depend on how much wear and tear it has had over the Summer but an Autumn lawn feed and moss killer will provide your lawn with the essential nutrients it needs to strengthen itself for winter, as well as killing any moss that is present. If weeds also need to be controlled there are plenty of products at your garden centre that combine both feeding, weeding and killing moss all in one treatment.

Overseeding

Depending on the wear and tear that the lawn has received over the previous months you may want to overseed the lawn in early autumn. By using a combination of lawn and turf dressing with an equal quantity of grass seed this mixture can then be brushed gently into the surface of the lawn. The grass seed will germinate ahead of the winter frosts and produce a thicker, healthier lawn next spring.

Topdressing

If your lawn has become uneven then topdressing will even out any low areas. A rate of 1 – 3 kg per square metre will be sufficient when brushed into the lawn surface especially in lower areas. It is a good idea to add a top dressing to help fill in any thin areas and it is always best to carry out topdressing when the lawn is dry. Topdressing also helps break down thatch and aids drainage.

The effort put into a lawn in autumn will improve the quality and health of the lawn and ensures it will look its best right through the following year.

Edging

To recut your lawn edges use a half moon edging iron to create a neat finish. You will need to trim the lawn edges every week using lawn-edging shears to give a neat finish. For more information on sharpening or repairing lawn-edging shears contact us now.

Autumn lawn care

Investing time in autumn lawn care will pay dividends next spring and summer. September/October is the perfect time to breath new life back into your lawn. With the warmth of the summer sun still held in the soil and the moisture in the air, it means changes and repairs made now have time to bed in before temperatures drop too low and the growth stops.

Not all lawns are equal and the soil type in your garden plays a big part in its ability to stay healthy and in good condition. Heavy clays are prone to compaction but will keep a lawn greener for longer in hot, dry weather. Grass on sandy, free-draining soil withstands more wear but without irrigation yellows more quickly in dry weather.

So before tackling autumn lawn repairs, cut the grass with lawnmower blades set low to expose areas of weak growth. If you need to top dress or oversow, mow your lawn twice in different directions to catch any grass blades laying flat on the soil.

Choose which maintenance jobs you need to do to your lawn as they are best done in logical order. Begin by dealing with mounds and low spots on your lawn, then scarify, aerate, top dress, feed, kill weeds and moss and, finally, edge.

Dealing with low and high spots

Bald patches that are created by the lawn mower catching mounds and dips in your lawn during the season need to be treated. Cut an ’X’ across the affected area and use a spade to slice under and fold back the turf. Fork over the exposed earth, add or remove more soil as necessary, then firm and check the grass level before closing the turf, tamping it down and watering well.

Scarifying (thatch removal) and aerating

Scarifying is the process of giving the lawn a vigorous comb with a spring-tined lawn rake as it removes dead grass and moss, breaks up the soil surface and divides the tufts of grass, encouraging fresh growth. For larger lawns an electric or petrol-powered scarifier will do all the hard work for you. Call us on 01403 700743 or email us for more information on electric or petrol-powered scarifiers.

Parts for your lawn will have had to deal with varying amounts of use. The soil on play areas, paths and direct routes across lawns often becomes compacted and airless with grass roots becoming shallow and then unable to find enough nutrients and moisture for good growth. Using a garden fork, push into the grass 15cm (6in) deep, spaced 15cm (6in) apart across the lawn to aerate the problem areas. For larger lawns contact us for advice on the best make and model to use to aerate your lawn.

Next month: advice on feeding, topdressing, overseeding and edging your lawn.

August lawn maintenance

During August raise the blades on your lawnmower before cutting fine lawns. This will help reduce drought stress.

Mow lightly and frequently so that short grass clippings can remain on the lawn during hot days to act as a moisture-retentive mulch. Excess thatch can be scarified out during autumn maintenance next month. Mulching lawn mowers cut the clippings even finer than normal rotary blades, making the mulch less visible.

If your lawn is on thin soil it may benefit from a high phosphate feed. This will strengthen the roots for winter, rather than encouraging lush top growth that could suffer in the cold and weaken the grass.

Avoid using lawn weedkillers in late summer – they will be more effective in the cooler, damper autumn weather.

Dig over any areas due to be grassed over later in the year. Leave them for a few weeks to allow weeds to re-emerge, and then spray with a weedkiller or hoe off to ensure thorough weed clearance before seeding or laying turf in the autumn.

Summer meadows may need mowing now if they have past their season of interest, especially in areas of the country where autumn comes earlier. In warmer parts of the UK, spring and early summer meadows that have extended their period of interest well into the summer could be cut now if not done already.

Do get in touch by emailing us or calling us on 01403 700743 with any questions about Lawn Mowers, Ride-On Lawn Mowers and Tractors or any aspect of garden machinery, garden tractor or lawnmower sales, repairs or service.

Lawn advice courtesy of The Royal Horticultural Society www.rhs.org.uk

How to look after your lawn during this dry Summer spell.

After such a prolonged period of wet weather no one predicted this long hot dry spell. Whilst we can’t complain it is having an adverse affect on our lawns. So here are a few tips to help get your lawn through this dry spell.

There are no exact rules to watering but a simple guide is water your lawn once a week under normal dry conditions and increase this to twice a week in abnormally hot weather. Try to do this early morning or evening to reduce evaporation but change this to watering only in the morning nearer to autumn enabling your lawn to dry out a little towards the end of the day preventing moss growth.

During dry spells leaving the grass collection box off when you mow and leaving the clippings on the lawns surface can help keep the moisture in your lawn and also add beneficial nitrogen.

Any cracks that appear in the lawn due to drought conditions, fill with a mixture of sharp sand and soil and water in well.

And don’t forget to give your lawnmower a mid-season blade sharpening to improve the cut of your lawn.

Do get in touch by emailing us or calling us on 01403 700743 with any questions about Lawn Mowers, Ride-On Lawn Mowers and Tractors or any aspect of garden machinery, garden tractor or lawnmower sales, repairs or service.

Summer has arrived! 10 tips on caring for your lawn and garden.

Summer is finally here and with June 21st fast approaching, the longest day of the year, all the extra light and warmth encourages your garden to put on that vigorous burst of growth. So not only lawns and borders will be flourishing but weeds will be as well! Hoeing regularly in dry conditions will keep them at bay.

Your lawn will require regular cutting, probably once a week, but remember in dry spells to heighten the cutting deck on your lawn mower or ride-on-tractor so that the lawn can conserve as much of the morning dew as possible with the grass being slightly longer.

10 jobs for June in the garden
1. Hoe borders regularly to keep down weeds
2. Be water-wise, especially in drought-affected areas
3. Pinch out side shoots on tomatoes
4. Harvest lettuce, radish, other salads and early potatoes
5. Put summer hanging baskets and containers outside
6. Cut lawns at least once a week
7. Plant out summer bedding
8. Stake all tall or floppy plants
9. Prune spring-flowering shrubs
10. Shade greenhouses to keep them cool and prevent scorch on tender plants

Do get in touch by emailing us or calling us on 01403 700743 with any questions about Lawn Mowers, Ride-On Lawn Mowers and Tractors or any aspect of garden machinery, garden tractor or lawnmower sales, repairs or service.

May – time for regular lawn care including servicing and repairing lawnmowers.

Lawn mowing should be high on the agenda now – leave it too long between cuts and the job becomes much harder, so try to mow weekly. Feed established lawns with a high nitrogen lawn fertilizer if you haven’t already done so, to keep them green and healthy. Use a fine rake to remove moss and debris and water regularly in dry spells (hosepipe bans permitting), preferably at night to minimise evaporation.

If we didn’t service your lawn mower during the winter, there’s still time and our Collection and Delivery service (available throughout West Sussex, East Sussex and Surrey) makes it easy. Find out more here.  And if you’re thinking of purchasing a new lawnmower or trading in your old mower for a better model, we sell leading manufacturers’ new ride-on mowers, tractors and lawn mowers as well as offering used mowers and also part exchange on a wide variety of garden machinery. You can check out our part exchange and stock clearance lists here.

May is the last chance for sowing a new lawn this spring – if you are unsure how to tackle making a new lawn, please ask for help and advice at the garden centre

At WG Gardencare Machinery we pride ourselves on being the very best in Surrey and Sussex for garden machinery, garden tractor and lawnmower sales, service and parts, so if you have any questions do get in touch by emailing us or calling us on 01403 700743 and we will be delighted to help you.

Hedges & when to trim plus choosing & servicing your hedge trimmer.

When you choose to do your hedge cutting will have a profound effect on its growth, according to when and how you prune, so cutting at the right time is important.

The best time to trim hedges is in the spring. During this period hedges go through quite a growth spurt, so it is best to trim in late April or early May. Deciduous hedges, however, can be cut at any time although it is a bad idea to give more than a light trim during the bird-nesting season, between the beginning of March and July. A second trimming should be done towards the end of September. Remember, the base of the hedge should always be wider than the top because if you cut the sides straight, then the top will shade the bottom.

Points to remember: sharpen pruning tools and service your hedge trimmer regularly. If purchasing a new hedge trimmer we recommend the 23cc Kawasaki 22”/56cm Blade Hedge Trimmer which delivers great results on all types of hedges, big or small. The more you trim the sides of a young hedge, the denser it will grow and a young or unhealthy hedge should have a foot of bare soil either side – mulch at least once a year and water well.

And don’t forget: any questions about hedge trimmers, hedge trimming or any aspect of garden machinery, garden tractor or lawnmower sales, repairs or service do get in touch by emailing us or calling us on 01403 700743 and we will be pleased to help you.

Post winter lawn care

Post winter lawn care

The daylight hours are getting longer as Spring fast approaches, so now is the time to give your lawn some well deserved TLC!

Rake the grass thoroughly, followed by spiking to aerate the lawn. Take a garden fork and prong the turf evenly all over at six inch intervals, to about two inches deep, and follow up with a light sprinkling of coarse horticultural sand to improve aeration and drainage – a handful per square foot.

Test your soil pH and add lime, if acidic, or sulphur, if alkaline to encourage new grass growth.

If you are lucky and your lawn is dry enough to give it a first cut then remember keep the lawn mower blades in a high position and just ‘top’ the grass. Sharp blades are essential so now is the time to service your mower if you haven’t already done so.

Wait until the end of April to weed and feed.