The Spring Lawn Calendar

By Tony Squire

Expert Author Tony Squire
The lawn work programme gets into full swing at the beginning of Spring. As soon as the grass begins to grow and the weather and ground conditions have improved, give the surface of the lawn a good rake in order to remove any debris such as leaves and other garden rubbish. Don't rake too vigorously though as you will damage your grass. If there have been heavy frosts in the Winter it is a good idea to settle the turf by giving it a light roll. It is not essential but is good for the lawn.

The first mow should be to just remove the top of the grass. If you cut too short at this time, or any time for that matter, you will scalp the lawn and it will turn brown. Choose a day when the surface is dry. In the first month of Spring, two fortnightly mows will be sufficient.

This is also the time to look for early signs of disease and apply a moss killer if required. Also neaten up or replace broken lawn edges.

The second month of Spring is the time to feed and weed, providing the grass and weeds are actively growing. Seek advice from your local garden centre on what treatments to use. If you use lawn sand you must ensure it is spread evenly and that the dead moss is raked up two weeks later. If any rogue grasses have arrived on your lawn, now is the time to dig them out and fill in the holes with sifted soil. Following this you can reseed the area or add a patch of turf. Your mowing regime should be at least fortnightly and on a level 5 or 6 cutting height on your lawn mower. This allows the grass to thrive without getting away from you.

In the last month of Spring ideally you should mow on a weekly basis on a level 4 cutting height. Again, if time is not available a minimum of fortnightly mowing is fine. This is also the best time for weed killing with either a selective weed killer or lawn sand. Remember the grass must be dry, the soil moist and the day fine and still when using weed sprays. This prevents innocent plants being killed, especially if a breeze blows the vapours on to them.

The soil is usually moist at the end of Spring but should a dry spell occur, ensure you water your lawn regularly.

Now that the necessary tasks are done, bring on the Summer gardening jobs!