01
January–FebruaryWinter watch
Lawn inspection, moss monitoring and iron where conditions, growth and the product label allow.
Lawn care in Oxford
Oxford Garden Company
Lawn care and aftercare
The work we do and the care you give between visits go together. Follow your treatment-specific instructions first; this guide explains the general approach.
We prefer organic-based products wherever suitable. This is not a promise of wholly organic or chemical-free treatment.
Before choosing a programme
What the included work means
Compare the programme prices and visit numbers, then explore the details below. Full lawn renovation is quoted separately.
Essential includes five visits, Complete seven and Premium nine per year. Complete and Premium each include one annual hollow-tine aeration and one light maintenance scarification. These can share a visit when conditions suit, without reducing your programme's total visit count. Regular mowing between visits and general garden maintenance are separate.
When the grass, weather and planned treatment allow, Premium includes a preparation mow or mulch mow during the scheduled visit. Fine, dry clippings may be returned to recycle nutrients. This is not a regular mowing service between visits. Wet, excessively long or diseased grass may need separate preparation, and any no-mowing interval required for the planned treatment always takes priority.
Annual maintenance overseeding includes selected seed, approximately 3 mm of premium fine-grade organic lawn dressing, pre-seed fertiliser and initial watering-in. The dressing lightly covers the seed, helps retain moisture, then gradually decomposes and helps feed the developing grass. It does not level the lawn. The timing and seed mix are chosen for your lawn. If overseeding would not help, I will discuss the alternatives with you before changing any included work.
Suitable wetting agents help water enter and spread through the soil more evenly, particularly where dry patches repel water. They are not simply another feed and do not make a lawn drought-proof or replace watering. Complete includes two treatments in total; Premium includes three in total, one more than Complete. Timing follows the product directions and soil conditions.
Hollow-tine cores are collected from the lawn as standard, unless you request otherwise. When scarification follows in the same visit, it can break up small, friable core remnants. Collected material can be left in an agreed on-site composting area; taking it away is quoted separately. Soil cores must not go in Oxford City Council's brown bins, and disposal must follow the relevant local collection rules.
Heavy moss renovation, deeper scarification, lawn levelling, turf, extensive repairs, specialist seed requirements and specialist pest or disease treatments are assessed and quoted separately. Levelling should be completed before seeding with suitable soil or an appropriate soil-and-sand mix.
How the year works
Care through the seasons
Five visits with Essential, seven with Complete or nine with Premium. Timing follows your lawn and the weather, with unsuitable visits rearranged.
These six seasonal windows show when different work may be appropriate; they are not six separate visits or a promise of every treatment in every programme.
02
March–AprilSpring reset
Seasonal nutrition and density checks. Complete and Premium mechanical work can share one visit when growth and soil conditions suit.
03
May–JuneBuild healthy growth
Balanced nutrition helps build denser grass. Complete and Premium water-management treatments begin when needed.
04
July–AugustSupport through stress
Weather-led care and watering advice. Additional water-management support for Complete and Premium; no feeding drought-stressed grass just to keep a date.
05
September–OctoberRepair and strengthen
Autumn nutrition and Premium seed establishment. Annual mechanical work may happen now instead of spring, depending on the lawn.
06
November–DecemberPrepare for winter
Appropriate late-season nutrition, iron where needed and advice for the wetter, cooler months.
Looking beneath the surface
Better conditions.
Stronger grass.
Compacted soil, shade, poor drainage and close mowing can keep a lawn struggling. I address those causes first. Organic matter supports soil life, while suitable feeding and practical aftercare help the grass become denser and more resilient.
Make room for roots
Hollow-tine aeration relieves compaction, helping air and water reach the roots. It is not a substitute for correcting a drainage fault.
About aerationRemove the right amount
Light scarification lifts surface debris and light thatch. Heavy moss removal needs a separate, carefully timed renovation.
About scarificationBuild denser grass
Suitable seed, a thin organic dressing and consistent aftercare help close gaps where weeds can establish.
About overseeding and repairBefore we start
Questions customers often ask
No. Routine iron can support colour and turf condition when weather, growth and the product label allow. Heavy moss renovation is separate: first improve the underlying conditions, then use an appropriate approved moss treatment and, at the correct interval, heavy scarification to remove dead moss. Repair and overseeding are assessed separately.
Yes, wherever they are suitable for the lawn and the result required, I prefer organic-based and soil-supporting products. Some deficiencies, weeds, moss, pests or diseases may need a carefully selected mineral feed or targeted professional treatment. I assess the cause first, explain the recommended approach and use only what is appropriate. Organic-based does not necessarily mean wholly organic or chemical-free.
Yes. The initial lawn assessment is free and without obligation. I check your postcode before arranging a visit and confirm the programme and total price in writing before any paid work is booked. No VAT is currently charged.
No. An approximate measurement and a few photographs are enough for the first conversation. The lawn is measured and assessed before the final programme price is confirmed.
Regular mowing is not included in Essential or Complete. Premium includes an appropriate preparation or mulch mow during a scheduled treatment visit when the grass, weather and planned treatment allow. It is not a separate regular mowing service between visits; ongoing mowing and general garden maintenance can be discussed separately.
Good mowing and watering by the customer are essential to the result. I provide clear instructions after each visit. A foliar feed, iron or weed treatment may require the lawn to remain uncut for a stated period so it can be absorbed; granular feeds have different requirements and may need watering in. Always follow the instructions given for that application rather than using one rule for every product.
It depends on the treatment and weather. Clear aftercare instructions are provided. Overseeding requires consistent moisture during establishment, and some granular products need watering in. Water-management treatments can help water move through the soil, but they do not replace suitable watering by the customer; no feed can compensate for a lawn that does not have enough water. If remembering is difficult, I can discuss a practical timer-and-sprinkler setup when water-use rules allow. Any supplied equipment or additional setup is agreed separately.
Yellow or brown grass may be dormant rather than dead, so I first check the pattern, soil moisture and irrigation before deciding what is appropriate. I will not feed, spray, mow or carry out mechanical work on drought-stressed turf simply to complete a visit. A professional visit does not automatically permit the use of a mains-fed hose or sprinkler during water restrictions. If a treatment requires watering in and there is no permitted water source or suitable rain, I postpone it. A useful visit may instead include assessment, watering advice or an irrigation check where the current rules allow. If no worthwhile work can be done, the visit is postponed and rearranged within the annual programme rather than counted as an empty visit. If prolonged conditions prevent an included treatment altogether, I will discuss suitable later work, an appropriate alternative or a fair account adjustment with you.
Visit length depends on the lawn size, access, conditions and work being carried out. A seasonal treatment may be relatively brief, while aeration, scarification or renovation can take several hours. The programme price covers the specified work rather than a set number of labour hours. I will explain what is planned and provide any access or aftercare instructions beforehand.
Essential includes five scheduled visits, Complete seven and Premium nine during each 12-month programme. Several compatible treatments may be completed at one visit, but that does not reduce the stated number of visits. If weather makes a visit unsuitable, it is rearranged rather than counted as an empty visit.
The visit or treatment is adjusted or rearranged. An application will not be made simply to keep a calendar date when wind, rain, drought, waterlogging, temperature or grass growth make it inappropriate.
The normal service area is Oxford and nearby Oxfordshire, generally within about a 20-minute drive. Complete, Premium and larger-lawn work may be practical farther away. Any travel supplement is discussed and agreed before booking.
Selecting a programme does not book it. The free assessment confirms your lawn-size band, then the included work, annual price, payment arrangement, visit expectations and any agreed extras are confirmed in writing for you to accept.
You can cancel without a notice period or cancellation penalty. Future visits stop, and Robert will discuss the work completed and payments made with you, aiming to agree a fair final balance. Any proposed charge is explained using the agreed programme price and the proportion of authorised work actually completed. Overpayments are refunded, and there is no automatic charge for the unused year. Cancellation does not depend on agreeing a disputed balance. Your cooling-off and other statutory rights are protected. Read the full cancellation process.
You will be told about any temporary access restriction for the product used. Treatments are applied professionally, in suitable conditions and according to the product label.
Not sure what your lawn needs?
Tell Robert what you would like to improve. The initial assessment is free and without obligation.