Vital Spring Lawn Care

Posted on April 18, 2019 in Gardening

Spring is a very important season for looking after your lawn. After the rigours of winter it needs careful attention as soon as the days start to lengthen and the grass starts to grow. Giving the lawn the care it needs now will ensure the best possible results throughout the year. Here we discuss the importance of having a spring lawn care program.

Mowing

As the grass starts to grow you will need to start to mow your lawn. It is very important in early spring that you set the mowing height quite high taking no more than one third of the length of the plant off at a time, otherwise the lawn will become stressed. A little and often approach is better in spring. As the grass grows faster as we move further into spring increase the mowing frequency and gradually reduce the height of cut to give the desired finish.

Feeding

It is essential that as part of your spring lawn care program you feed your lawn during spring. The grass plants are growing rapidly at this time and, like any living thing, need the correct nutrients in the correct quantities in order to grow strong and healthy. Healthy plants mean a thicker, denser, greener sward.

Broadleaf weed treatment

Broadleaf weeds can be treated using a suitable selective herbicide or an all-in-one treatment. Alternatively weed them out by hand or using a knife/mechanical weeder remembering to get the root of the weed out.

Overseeding

Depending upon the wear and tear that the lawn has received over the previous months you may want to overseed the lawn in early spring. The seed will germinate and fill in any sparse or thinner areas.

Top dressing

If your lawn has become uneven then top dressing will even out any low areas. A rate of 1 – 3 kg per square metre will be sufficient when brushed into the lawn surface especially in lower areas. It is always best to carry out topdressing when the lawn is dry. Topdressing also helps breakdown thatch and aids drainage.

Dealing with moss

If moss is a problem on your lawn you will need to scarify it out. You may also consider applying moss-killer product before scarifying. This will help to kill and remove more of the moss, allow the moss to turn brown/black before scarifying. After this it may be appropriate to overseed if taking the moss out leaves the lawn thin in some areas.

Scarification

We recommend you also include in your spring lawn care program scarification which reduces the build-up of dead grass matter, roots and moss which can cause increased stress to the grass plants. Scarification can be done using a spring-tine rake by vigorously pulling the rake through the grass sward. Electric or petrol scarifiers are also available for hire from local garden centres or DIY stores.

Aeration

Aerate consolidated areas of the lawn with a fork or with a spiking machine. These are available for hire from local garden centres or DIY stores for larger lawns. This will relieve compaction, improve drainage and allow more air into the root system leading to a healthier lawn.

Treatment of weed grasses

Undesirable weed grasses can appear in a lawn. They will be obvious as they will appear to be different to the rest of the grass sward. If required these can be removed by cutting the plant out and removing the roots. Fill in the area with a mix of topdressing and lawn seed as any bare patches.

The key to preventing weed grasses is a good maintenance regime. A vigorous, dense and healthy growing lawn will out compete many of the weed grasses. This can be achieved with regular feeding with a quality lawn food, regular mowing with a sharp mower and overseeding any thinner patches if necessary.

Cut back vegetation

Turf, being a green plant organism, relies on light as well as the correct balance of heat, water, air and food. It is important where possible, that foliage and surrounding shrubs and trees around the lawn are cut back to reduce competition for water or essential nutrients, and to avoid leaving parts of the turf in constant shade.

If you would like information on our lawn care services please call 0845 604 1288 and speak with one of our friendly team or visit Protech Lawn Care.