Hello, many apologies if I am raising a topic that has many existing posts already. I did a search, but there were so many results that I thought I'd try my luck with a fresh one.
I have been working as a self-employed gardener for 3 months now and tend to work in an affluent part of south west london where something like 80% of the lawns in gardens I work in are synthetic. Talk about taking the concept of a lawn being a green desert to a new level! Generally speaking, the gardens I work in a poorly maintained. The lawns are very often full of weeds, covered in leaf litter, and very often have dried pet/fox excrement on them/smell of urine.
I was hoping to get some advice on the types of maintence that are appropriate to keep these synthetic lawns in as good condition as possible. What should the owners or regular gardeners be doing to these things on a regular basis to stop them getting into such a mess? This is more what my quesiton is about. What are the recurring tasks that someone should do to this fake grass to stop it gettign into such a mess?
The tasks I end up doing tend to be, first of all, pulling out all the weeds and where I can, get the roots too. Sometimes possible for new weeds, but those that have developed thick taproots, it doesn't seem possible. For thick taproots, I spray on a bit of consumer grade weedkiller which I assume doesn't really work, but at least shows some effort to the client.
Then I give them a sweep with my wide yard brush, which takes ages, as most of the leaf littler just flies up in the air. There is usually a grain in the lawn that when found and followed makes it easier to sweep (i.e. sweeping with the grain rather than against it).
I pretty much stay away from the animal waste and take the attitude that it's not the job of a gardener to deal with this. But I'd be interested to know if anyone can recommend anything to spray on it that would allow it to biodegrade faster without damaging the lawn and membrane.
Can anyone recommend any treatment for getting rid of urine?
Finally, one of my clients says that she has powerwashed the lawn before. I don't fancy that, due to the fact that the splash would be full of all the rubbish that was on the ground and I don't want that on me. But, just wondering if this is a thing that anyone has any feedback on.
What I'm hoping for is feedback on the recurring maintenance tasks that would stop the lawn getting into such a mess, and then if it is in a mess, feedback on the restoration tasks that I have been doing/not doing. Thanks in advance for any help on these topics.
Ian
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Replies
Have always avoided artificial lawn maintenance , main reason never certain to what standard it has being laid which is a distinct disadvantage .
Perhaps get some terms and conditions in place if you already have not so you won't be liable for any damage caused by poor installation.
I have come across artificial grass which is usually covered in moss also saturated and soggy and conspicuously pungent .
Just guessing here but would some kind of industrial wet vacuum be more effective than blasting at high pressure which could dislodge any under surface sand ?
Another line of enquiry may be the sports turf management industry .
It sounds like the negatives of the dog poo etc may be worth managing if as you say it's an affluent area and they are paying a decent rate and on time along with other lucarative work opportunity .
Just very briefly
Lawn sand to control moss
Weedkiller weeds - don't need license to spray any herbicides
Combi tool with sweeper brush attachment
Blower
May need fresh sand every couple of years brushed in to keep blades of grass erect.
Deinitely have something to say in writing that you're not liable for damage caused by not being properly fixed.
Customer needs to remove any leaves etc asap. I would recommend power brushing at least once a year (could be more) against the grain to get the crap out and stand the pile up. If you then want to re-sand, do it on a dry day using kiln-dried sand. A lawn spreader is useful for avoiding getting heaps. I wouldn't use lawn sand for moss, the client will end up with orange stains everywhere they walk. Something like patio magic would be better.
Thanks guys, really helpful advice. You have given me a helpful nudge in the right direction with this.