Lawn Care in Spring

A good starting point to the imminent gardening year is to identify the problems on the existing lawn, almost like an audit so that an effective plan using the appropriate planned use of relevant techniques can be employed efficiently. This will save substantial time for the gardener over the year.

Weeds and Moss Problems

Any perennial weeds that have survived the winter should be dug out at the earliest opportunity. To remove moss it is best to start by scarifying the lawn using the most narrow-tined rake possible that will not tear out possible new growth. At this point in the year, feeding the lawn with a high-nitrogen fertilizer helps to “green up” the grass.

It will be necessary to aerate and feed the lawn if moss is persistent. In shaded areas, it may be necessary to replace the lawned area by extending the border. If replacing worn areas, brown areas of grass often require a fungicide treatment first. If so, aerating again and adding grit to help drainage may also be required. The purpose is to wash any treatment through into the soil and leave as little as possible on any good grass shoots.

Lawn Mowing

The first mowing of the lawn is best done when the grass has reached around three inches in height, the weather is dry and the surface is dry enough to walk on without causing damage. The first cut should be done with the mower blade set high, the intention to be to simply remove the ends of the blades of grass at this stage. This should usually be possible in the first two or three weeks of the spring season. This is also the ideal time to prepare and tidy up the edges of the lawn to set the outline for the year.

Grass growth is generally at its fastest during late spring and early summer, so that the height of the lawn mower blades can be at its lowest of the year as the spring wears on. It is quite common and natural for some less knowledgeable gardeners to set the mower blades too low as a general setting. This should be avoided and the blades set fairly high. As a general rule, two inches above the surface is a good norm for the more coarse lawn grasses while above half an inch for fine lawns. Too low a setting creates too harsh a cut which will significantly weaken the grass and damage its rooting system, undoing many hours of any other effort applied to trying to maintain or improve the lawn.

Spring is a suitable time to leave grass clippings on the lawn after mowing. This helps improve the lawn by leaching some of the nutrients back into the surface and the soil, but is best done occasionally than regularly and the clipping should not be left on the lawn for too long, to avoid the covered area reducing to a soggy mess.

Other Spring Gardening Techniques

Even as early as spring, any spells of dry weather may necessitate watering the lawn in order to maximize its growth during the peak season. Spring is also the alternative to autumn for laying a new lawn by seeding. Generally, autumn is preferential because weeds do not grow as quickly in autumn as in spring.

If birds taking the seed is likely to be a problem, stringing cotton across the lawn surface is one of the most effective methods. Though time-consuming to do and not 100% effective, it usually proves more effective than alternatives in the longer term, even if some slightly more bare patches due to lack of seed may need further seeding later.

Summer and autumn will be the periods of high activity in any lawn care or lawn maintenance programme. Although winter is generally a quieter time for the gardener, there are still suitable preparatory and trouble-prevention tasks that are worth attention, including giving attention to garden tools and the lawn mower.