Across the UK, spring welcomes the well-awaited arrival of warmer tempratures and intense growth throughout our gardens, making it an ideal time to provide our lawn's with some much needed love and care after the harshness of winter.
This blog will explore the best approach to ensuring that your lawn not only looks its best this spring, but provide tips to encourage healthy growth throughout the year in its entirety.
How to Maintain your Lawn throughout Spring
As the weather begins to warm up and the days become longer, you may have the opportunity to spend more time in the garden. However, with the arrival of spring, the need for a higher level of lawn care and maintinance follows, due to the increase in growth.
By performing low-level, regular maintenance to your lawn, you can reduce the necessity for large-scale, time consuming maintenance on issues that may be due to damage or disease that occured during winter. Through this, you can also assure that your lawn looks its best despite the time of year.
When Should you Mow your Lawn?
The first mow of the year is always a welcomed event. Once the frost has thawed and the temprature begins to rise, there's nothing more satisfying than grabbing your Lawn Mower from the depths of the garage or garden shed and providing your grass with a much needed cut.
Before attempting any growth encouraging techniques to your lawn, mowing is a neccessary step.
So, when is the best time of year to start cutting your lawn?
The average time for the first lawn cut of the year in the UK is the end of March, where tempratures are mild. However, it is important to note that mowing your lawn too early may lead to longstanding damages. To avoid the likelyhood of this, make sure to keep an eye on the weather forecast, checking for any lingering frost, cold or wet spells to ensure that you don't mow too early.
From its first cut, you should aim to mow your lawn fortnightly to promote growth whilst upholding a neat and healthy appearence. Regular mowing will also support the elimination of weeds, as they will not have the opportunity to grow.
Tidying your Lawn with Edging
Edging your lawn is one of the final steps in achieving that picture perfect lawn for you to enjoy once spring is in full swing. When using a lawn mower to exclusively tidy the appearance of your lawn, you may find that some areas are hard to reach, especially around flower beds.
Using a half-moon edging tool or Garden Spade along the border of your lawn, cut against a plank of wood for a straight edge, or free hand for a curving effect. When edging your lawn, you can get as creative as you want, following the flow of your lawn to present a garden that is uniquely yours.
After your lawn has benefited from a trim with your mower, using a Grass Trimmer, you can tidy up any loose blades in those hard to reach or missed areas.
Scarifying your Lawn
Arguably, spring is one of the best times of the year to scarify your lawn as the temperatures are consistently above 10°C, which ensures the soil is not hard and compact due to cold weather.
Lawn scarification consists of removing the ‘thatch’ layer of moss and dead grass on the surface of your lawn, opening up the ground to promote the flow of air and improve growth.
By using an electric or diesel Lawn Scarifier as one of the first steps in your spring lawn care routine, you can effortlessly achieve a healthy and vibrant lawn, reflective of the time and effort that you have put into it.
Lawn Aeration
Towards the end of winter, it is very likely that your lawn has experienced compaction and damage, meaning that your grass may have some difficulty accessing the air, water and nutrients it needs to grow to its best.
Aerating your lawn in spring encourages your lawn to breathe by puncturing small, deep holes into the soil with a Lawn Aerator. Not only does this benefit aeration but your lawn will also have a decreased likelihood of waterlogging once the April showers arrive.
It is recommended during spring that hollow tines are used when using a Lawn Aerator. Due to the increased likelihood of compaction after heavy snowfall and frost, hollow tines will ensure that compaction is relieved.
Before aerating your lawn, it is important to take into consideration the weather forecast, as aeration should not be carried out on overly wet or dry grass.
Don’t forget to provide your grass the right after-care once you’ve aerated or scarified your lawn. Avoiding heavy traffic and mowing for a week or two, alongside sufficient moisture levels will allow your lawn to recover as best as it can. Immediately after aeration or scarifying is a great time to consider fertilising or over-seeding your lawn as the nutrients and new growth can reach the roots quickly.
Should you Apply Spring Lawn Feed?
In many cases, a lawn will grow perfectly without the need for the application of lawn feed. However, if you wish to support your grass in its health and appearance, whilst eliminating the opportunity for weeds to grow, feeding your lawn this spring might be something to consider.
When looking for the perfect feed to apply to your lawn, try to use a specific spring or summer fertiliser and apply to manufacturer’s recommendations, sprinkling evenly across the entirety of your lawn. Typically, these premixed fertilisers hold high levels of nitrogen to boost growth, releasing nutrients slowly as to benefit your lawn throughout the entirety of spring.
By following these tips and tricks when caring for your lawn this spring, you will be on your way to boosting your lawn’s growth and having a flourishing garden for years to come.
