A whole range of GARDENA Newsletter readers have sent us their questions about lawns in recent weeks. Thank you! However, in the Newsletter itself we can only ever answer three or four questions. For this reason, we have grouped the lawn questions together and answer them here in this Lawn Special. And because not everybody is interested in everything, we have organised the information alphabetically using keywords. Simply scroll through the good two dozen keywords to find the advice of your GARDENA garden expert - and enjoy a fantastic lawn season!

Today, your GARDENA Newsletter has answers to questions from A for aerification to M for moss in lawns. In Part 2, you will find information on lawn types, turf, removing weeds, and scarifying. So here is Part 1 of the Lawn Special!

Ants

We understand that you find them annoying! At home, they are mainly found near path slabs or stepping stones on lawns - they are less prevalent in the middle of lawns. They tend to produce sand piles rather than actually damaging the lawn itself. Ants can be combatted with ant-killer or - in smaller areas - baking powder spread in dry weather. Please note that large wood ants cannot be killed as they are a protected species. They can be found in areas which are close to woods.

Tree pits

Well, these are a matter for debate. Personally, I don't like planting trees in lawns because fallen blossoms and leaves annoy me and lawns need to be cleared more quickly than beds to prevent damage to the grass. And I don't like mowing round them either. Why create even more lawn edges to care for? But if there are already trees in your grass, you really should create a separate tree pit so that the tree's roots get enough air. Especially on loamy soils, the roots tend to come to the surface. This means that in the case of older trees the roots are constantly hit by the lawnmower. And the bark can just as easily be bumped and damaged if the grass goes right up to the trunk. So the tree pit has two functions: It provides distance from the mowers and cutters and protects roots. However, this does not work if you pack in the mulch so tightly that the roots below it cannot breathe anyway! It is better to keep it loose and hoe it every now and again.

Lime

People often forget to add lime to their lawns. But the growth of lawn grasses is often restricted if the soil is too acidic, as is the case for fescue grass. The ideal pH for lawns is slightly acidic - between 5.5 and 6.5. Around 50 to 60 grammes of agricultural lime per square metre per year is enough to maintain lime levels. Sandy soils usually need more lime more frequently than clay soils which bind lime better. If you are able to determine the pH value of your lawn yourself with a soil probe, add 60 grammes of lime per square metre to raise the pH value by 0.5. Example: You measure a pH of 4 and want to increase it to 6; you need 4 x 60 grammes of lime per square metre - around 240 grammes. A 25 kg sack is therefore enough for a good 100 square metres of lawn.

Mulch mowers

Yes, they make mowing lawns easy, because ideally they cut up the trimmings so small that they can fall onto the ground between the stalks and decay there, thus providing nutrients for the grass. But you have to be aware that this really requires a good lawn base and healthy, well-fed grass. It does not work so well on problematic soils (too compacted or too wet). In such cases, the trimmings remain between the stalks for too long in the form of a layer which prevents the flow of fertiliser, hides the stalks from the light, and encourages the growth of moss. So: Use your mulch mower but use a scarifier at least once - and more often if necessary.