Common lawn problems

Pests and diseases and how to keep on top of them

I SOMETIMES wonder whether laws are more trouble than they’re worth – often the largest single area of garden, they can be beset by problems whatever the time of year.

Sunny, exposed areas dry out, shaded areas overhung with trees and shrubs can accumulate moss, slimy algae and other fungal problems – and that’s before you take into account the pests that attack them.

Earlier this summer the evening skies above our garden were filled with a loud buzzing and the air was filled with lots of chunky brown beetles. They were European chafers, harmless bumbling things as adults, but their large white grubs eat the roots of grass, killing off areas of lawn if they are in large enough numbers.

As if this isn’t bad enough, once foxes, badgers and birds get the scent of the grubs, they will start digging up your lawn to eat them.

There are no pesticides to use against chafer grubs, but nematodes (microscopic parasitic eelworms) will do the job for you– visit nematodesdirect.co.uk or ask your local garden centre to order some in.

It is worth noting that less intensely managed lawns are also less prone to chafer grub attack.

Moles are another problem, creating hillocks of soil and burrowing under plants, damaging the roots.