At 84 years old, Hugh Patrick of Bearsden has always taken immense pride in his front lawn. But like many, his lawn faced unexpected challenges during the late Covid era. In his own words Hugh shares his remarkable journey of perseverance and guidance from our Managing Director Austin Jarrett and the ultimate restoration of his pride and joy.
Hugh's story began when he decided to treat himself to an Allett Classic 14L mower. It was an exciting purchase he hoped would elevate his lawn care routine. However, the joy quickly turned to dismay as his lawn developed significant problems- Hugh was cutting too low too soon with a cylinder mower given the thick thatch level he had in his lawn.
"During late Covid I treated myself to an Allett Classic 14L mower after which my lawn developed significant problems. At first, I thought it was a problem with the lawnmower but three independent experts (I’m persistent) said that the lawnmower was perfect. I was simply cutting too low too soon with my thick thatch layer"
When switching from a rotary mower to a cylinder mower you need to gradually lower the height of cut of your grass and reduce your thatch level/lawn sponginess. If you don't your mower will sit on top of the spongey layer causing scalping. You need to be cutting no more than a third of your grass plant off at any one time and you need to work on taking the height of cut down gently so you don't shock the grass. You need to be getting rid of all of the thatch in your lawn as soon as you can with your scarifier cartridge. After this initial deep scarification you should be scarifying AT LEAST once a month with your spring rake scarifier cartridge to keep on top of it. Once in the spring and once in the autumn is not good enough when you are cutting at low heights of cut. It’s also beneficial to be verticutting at least once a month to ensure lateral growth isn’t stunting your vertical growth. Hugh will continue working on his thatch layer.
Austin stepped in with what Hugh described as ''unwavering patience'' providing him with invaluable grass recovery advice and pointers to navigate his challenging situation. Austin is in his element when giving lawn advice and really enjoyed talking to Hugh and sharing his passion for lawns.
The path to restoration led to the grass itself. Multiple deep scarification sessions and a carefully planned lawn care and feeding routine became the remedy for correction. It was a journey that demanded time, effort, and patience but Hugh remained steadfast in his determination to revive his pride and joy.
At Allett we always state it's more than just a mower that's needed to produce an amazing lawn. You need to be doing a range of other tasks. It's like looking after a child- it needs watering, feeding and takes up a lot of your time. We work with our customers to provide the knowledge and expertise to learn all you need to know to get the best out of your lawn via online blogs, social media posts and lawn academy days. We are always at the end of the phone or active on social media if you have any lawn advice enquiries.
Today, Hugh's Allett Classic continues to produce consistently great results as seen above. His lawn, once plagued by problems, now stands as a testament to the importance of seeking expert guidance when faced with challenges.
Most importantly, Hugh's wife, Jan, is now happy, and his trophy-lawn has been fully restored to its former glory. "My wife is happy, Austin Jarrett is happy, and my trophy-lawn is restored. I am just waiting on approaches from Wimbledon, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, and the local bowling greens!" Who knows where his remarkable lawn journey will take him next!