Maintaining The Beauty Of Your Garden With A Tried Lawnrake

Maintaining a garden can be a labour of love, but it is a task that can be rewarding. There are a few basic tools to help with the necessary tasks that gardeners will have, one of which is the lawnrake. Lawnrakes are generally designed for light outdoor work such as removing dead grass and clippings. Most types today have wire tines or plastic teeth to sweep up garden debris, with the ergonomic varieties making the task slightly easier on the back.

Fallen leaves

Raking up the leaves once autumn sets in is a standard job for the gardener. If the leaf fall is not huge some may let them settle in the borders to mulch any plant beds over time, while others will mow the leaves in to the grass to feed the lawn. However a reasonably substantial fall can cause damage. A thick layer of leaves will smother a lawn and weaken the grass. Raking up the leaves will prevent this happening, and can be kept for compost or mulch for other parts of the garden. Leaving a small area untended, however, may benefit some of the local wildlife.

Lawn care

A well maintained lawn is often the center-piece for many gardens, and this requires attention throughout the year. Once the final frosts have passed, raking is often the first job for the lawn. Any moss that has developed will come away easily as it is not rooted, and raking will also remove any dead grass. Raking also removes thatch, which is a build up of a layer of organic matter such as grass clippings and decaying stems or shoots.

Where there are any patches that need to be repaired on the lawn, then the soil is raked prior to being re-seeded. This is best done in late summer, early autumn, as the soil is still fairly warm though damp from rain, and there will be less weeds to compete with the grass as it germinates.

Soil preparation

Preparing plant beds or vegetable patches will also require some raking. Bedding plants fare better in prepared soil, and following forking, a light raking will help break up some of the remaining lumps to give the crumbly soil the plants prefer.

Lawnrakes are therefore an essential tool in maintaining the beauty of your garden, giving a space to relax in, treasure and enjoy.