Your lawn and outdoor furniture

Outdoor furniture, swing sets, sports equipment can all create shade and compaction issues with your lawn. Here are some handy hints to keep your lawn looking great while still enjoying it.

If you like entertaining, have kids or both, you will probably have some sort of obstruction on your lawn. From a trampoline to an outdoor dining setting, swing set or soccer goals, parts of your lawn will be getting more wear and tear than its fair share.

Things like trampolines and soccer goals are easy, simply move them each time you mow so you can access the grass underneath and relocate them each time you do this. Remember to keep an eye on them through winter when the mowing slows down.

Swing sets and outdoor settings are a different story, constant pressure on the same area can cause the ground to compress making it hard for the grass to survive and thrive. If your setting is portable and you have the room, move it around every few weeks. If your swing set or outdoor setting is a permanent fixture, then you will need to take a different approach. Compacted areas should be aerated at least once a year, generally coming into spring. This will loosen the soil and allow the air and water into the grass roots. This can easily be done with a garden fork, specialised aerating machinery or even aerating sandals.

Another common issue for your lawn and balancing outdoor furniture is shade. Generally speaking, even the most shade tolerant of grasses needs at least a few hours of sunlight a day to survive. Try and setup your furniture and play equipment to give your lawn maximum exposure to the sun where possible.