Add 1 item to lawns in October to avoid bald patches and root-eating pests

Garden designer and TikToker Ish has warned that leatherjackets are becoming an “epidemic” in the UK, and if left untreated, can wreak havoc on well-maintained lawnsA lawn with bald, patchy spots can look unsightly(Image: Qwart via Getty Images)

A gardening guru has issued a warning to fellow green thumbs about an increasingly common pest that could be wreaking havoc on your garden without you even noticing.

Garden designer and TikToker Ish, known as @gardening.with.ish, highlighted the dangers of leatherjackets, which can decimate plants and lawn grass, in a recent video.

Ish cautioned that leatherjackets are becoming an “epidemic” in the UK, and if left unchecked, can cause chaos on well-tended lawns. Neglecting to deal with these pests can result in unsightly bald patches on lawns, as they feast on organic matter.

Here’s how you can effectively tackle them this month.

Leatherjackets are the larvae of daddy longlegs. While there are around 350 species of them in Britain, many are uncommon or rare.

However, there are a few species of leatherjackets that feed on living plants which can ultimately damage gardens, explained the Royal Horticultural Society, reports the Express.

Leatherjackets can kill organic matter, creating bald and brown patches on lawns(Image: Getty)

You’ll be able to identify leatherjackets by their long tubular bodies which can be up to 30 mm long, and are grey-brown in colour. They also have no legs or obvious heads.

If leatherjackets are residing in the ground of your garden, the surface of the lawn will start developing yellowish brown patches and kill off the grass, what Ish termed as “bald patches”.

This can be distinguished from similar effects caused by lawn diseases or adverse growing conditions by lifting the affected turf and finding leatherjackets in the surface layers of the soil.

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Leatherjackets can also thrive in flower beds or vegetable patches, with seedlings and smaller plants potentially perishing if their stems suffer damage at ground level. The problem can be resolved, so it’s wise to tackle it early.

To tackle these pests, Ish suggested gardeners use nematodes as an efficient remedy. These are tiny worms that seek out leatherjackets within the earth.

Nematodes pose no threat whatsoever to humans and pets, yet prove deadly to pests like leatherjackets. They function as parasites that devour the pests from within, which Ish characterised as somewhat “little bit gruesome”.

This natural method can prevent lawn damage(Image: MoMo Productions via Getty Images)

Blend the nematodes with tepid water in a watering can or spray container. This mixture can be applied straight onto the troubled soil.

The optimal moment to use this treatment is during late afternoon. Ish explained: “Once they take care of them, they’ll be gone in about a week or so.”

This method can be repeated over three to four weeks to ensure the leatherjackets issue remains under control.

The RHS noted that for the treatment to work effectively, nematodes require soil that drains well yet stays damp and maintains a minimum temperature of 12°C (54°F). The grass surrounding the edges of affected zones should be treated to address larvae moving outward from “hot spots” across the lawn.

Nevertheless, once damage becomes visible, the ground might be too chilly for nematodes to work properly, so ensure you act quickly rather than delay.