Lawn Care - Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Can I apply lawn soil using a Scotts spreader?

A. No, lawn soil is too moist to be applied successfully through a wheeled spreader. Lawn Soil tends to bridge and go through unevenly but you can apply lawn sand, fertilisers and grass seed through the Scotts EvenGreen Drop Spreader and the Scotts EasyGreen Rotary Spreader.

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Q. What are the recommended spreader settings for grass seed?

A. Use the table below:

Product EvenGreen Drop Spreader Setting EasyGreen Rotary Spreader Setting
EverGreen Multi Purpose Grass Seed 35gm/sqm 14 30 x 2
EverGreen Shady Lawn Grass Seed 35gm/sqm 14 30 x 2
EverGreen Fine Lawn Grass Seed 35gm/sqm 18 31 x 2

What other spreaders can I use with your EverGreen range of Lawncare products applied at 35gm/sqm?

Product Setting for 35g m/sq m application
Wolf WE 250 or 251 6
Wolf WE 252 4
Wolf WE 500 8
Wolf Perfect 430 8.3
Gardena 410 5
Gardena 415 4
J Arthur Bowers Total Lawncare 3.5 - 4
J Arthur Bowers Lawntenda 5
Westland 4

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Q. Is there anything available to stop worm casts and control worms?

A. No there are no chemical treatments available in the amateur garden market.

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Q. I need a replacement part for a Scotts Spreader, who should I contact?

A. The Scotts Consumer Services Advice Line 0870 5301010 or consumerenquiriesuk@scotts.com.

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Q. I’ve over applied a lawn food and the grass is starting to go black and scorch, what should I do now?

A. Spike the area with a fork and saturate the affected area every day with plain water for at least 3 days in a row.

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Q. Why can’t I apply a powder or granule lawn treatment to my lawn when the grass is wet?

A. The fertiliser particles can stick to the blades of grass and cause scorching and damage.

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Q. How long after applying a lawn treatment can I sow grass seed?

A. It all depends on which product is used.  For products that contain a selective weedkiller such as EverGreen Complete it will be 6 weeks. For other products please consult the label or a Consumer Services Adviser.

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Q. How can I control moss in my lawn?

A. Use a product such as EverGreen Complete that contains a mosskiller and then follow up by tackling the underlying causes for the spread of moss in your grass such as compaction, thatch, acidity and poor drainage.

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Q. Moss keeps returning to my lawn. How can I beat it?

A. Lawn treatments will give a temporary respite, but you need to treat the primary causes. Don’t cut the grass too short or scalp areas as this leaves bare soil for moss invasion. Get rid of as much shade as possible and improve drainage. Lawns growing on heavy clay soils need aeration, especially in the lowest lying spots. In Autumn, either spike the area with a garden fork to a depth of 10cm (4in) or use a hollow-tine fork to take out plugs of turf. Fill the holes with horticultural sharp sand or grit to allow air into the soil and to help dry out the surface. Moss can also be a problem on sandy soils because they soon use up any nutrients. Feed lawns in Spring and Summer with a lawn treatment that contains slow-release (plant) foods to boost the grass. A treatment of all lawns in October with EverGreen “I Want Complete Autumn Lawn Care” will provide nutrients for the grass and also get rid of unwanted moss that would otherwise multiply during Winter.

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Q. How do I fit mowing in with optimum weed control?

A. For optimum effectiveness fit in a weedkilling treatment halfway between mowings.

  • Day 1: Mow grass.
  • Day 4: Apply weedkiller.
  • Day 6: Water in granular lawn treatments if no rain has fallen after application.
  • Day 8: Mow again.

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Q. Can I put grass cuttings taken after a weedkiller treatment onto my compost heap?

A. Yes in most cases but check the label of the weedkiller. For some weedkillers, the cuttings from the first mowing must be disposed of but subsequent cuttings may be used as long as they are thoroughly composted for 6 months.

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Q. I am growing Spring bulbs in my lawn. Can I still apply lawn treatments?

A. Yes. You can apply straight lawn feeds in Spring, although it is best to avoid applying lawn feed granules directly to the bulb foliage as this could scorch. Wait until the bulb foliage has died down fully below soil level before applying a Summer lawn treatment that contains weedkillers.

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Q. My newly seeded lawn is full of weeds. When can I apply a weedkiller?

A. Don’t panic. Many of these weeds will be annual seedlings that will disappear when you start mowing regularly. After 2 months you can safely apply Verdone Extra providing the lawn is actively growing, usually between April and September. Do not apply granular lawn treatments that contain weedkillers until the lawn is at least 6 months old.

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Q. Do children and pets need to be excluded from the lawn after it is treated?

A. For products which contain a mosskiller we recommend keeping everyone off the lawn until after it has rained or been watered within 2 days. This is to stop rust coloured marks from the mosskilling ingredient staining fur, clothing and treading onto paving slabs etc. For other products without a mosskiller there is no restriction.

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Q. How often should I repeat lawn treatments?

A. The EverGreen range of products are designed to last 6 weeks and we would suggest a maximum of 3 to 4 applications per year. The Scotts Lawn Builder Lawn Food range lasts 8 weeks and we would suggest 2 to 3 applications per year.

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Q. What’s the metric to imperial conversion settings for lawn care granules?

A. 35gm/sq metre equates to 1oz/sq yard.

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Q. I need to control a difficult weed, but can’t readily identify it. Can you help?

A. Send it to Consumer Services, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, Salisbury House, Catteshall Lane, Godalming, Surrey, GU7 1XE for identification.

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Q. What weedkillers kill weeds without harming my lawn?

A. Verdone Extra, EverGreen Complete, EverGreen Soluble ‘I want complete lawn care’, EverGreen Feed & Weed, EverGreen Feed & Weed Liquid and Scotts Lawn Builder Lawn Food plus Weed Control. All the rest are general weedkillers that kill grass as well as weeds.

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Q. Why can’t I apply weed/moss killers with a feeder/hose pipe?

A. The water volume is too large and washes the products away from the leaves where they work best.

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Q. By accident, I applied general weedkiller onto my lawn, is there anything I can do?

A. If it is Roundup or Weedol 2 then watering thoroughly within hours of application might wash it off the leaves so damage is reduced.  Otherwise, any grass that dies can be reseeded immediately as both of these general weedkillers are inactivated on touching the soil.

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Q. When is the best time to scarify, aerate and top dress my lawn?

A. The Autumn is the best time followed by the Spring. Never scarify in the Summer when the grass is trying to produce seed heads. At this time it spends all its energy producing seeds and doesn’t make new side shoots (called tillering)  so well.

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Q. How often should I mow my lawn and at what heights?

A. Cut as often as the conditions allow, usually once a week. Height of cut will vary depending on the season. Never scalp the grass – it weakens growth and encourages moss and weeds to be introduced. For a thick, lush lawn leave the grass longer than the MINIMUM height shown in the following table.

Lawn type Early Spring, Autumn, periods of drought Late Spring and Summer
Multi Purpose Lawn 3cm (1.5") 2.5cm (1.0")
Ornamental Lawn 2cm (0.75") 1.5cm (0.5")

Do not mow more than a third of the height of the grass in one cut.

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Q. I have mushrooms growing in my lawn, can I treat them?

A. If they are growing in a haphazard way then they will not harm your lawn. Pick them off with a gloved hand and dispose before mowing. If they are growing in rings then they could be ‘fairy rings’ and require drastic action as follows:

  1. Locate the inner and outer of edges of mushroom growth, mark off a further 30cm inside and outside this zone.
  2. Strip the turf from the marked areas with a spade. The turf must be burned.
  3. Excavate the soil below the ring to completely remove the white mycelium (roots) and dispose without dropping any onto the healthy lawn.
  4. Replace with fresh soil and re-seed or turf.

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Q. What treatments are available to control leather jackets and chafer grubs?

A. There is a treatment available from Bayer Garden Science. Tel 0845 3454100.

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Q. What is over-seeding?

A. Applying grass seed over an existing lawn to thicken it. The recommended application rate is normally less than the rate for sowing a new lawn. The over-seeding rate recommended for the EverGreen Grass Seed Range is 20gm/sqm.

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Q. What time of the year should I be using EverGreen Complete and EverGreen “I Want Complete Autumn Lawn Care”?

A. EverGreen Complete can be used from April to September and EverGreen “I Want Complete Autumn Lawn Care” from September to November.

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Q. Is the Lawn Builder Range better than EverGreen Complete/Autumn?

A. Yes it is based on a patented, controlled release granule which gradually releases lawn foods over a longer period of time than conventional lawncare granules.

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Q. If I use Verdone Extra, when can I reseed the bare patches?

A. We recommend that you allow a period of 8 weeks before and after application of Verdone Extra before sowing grass seed.

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