When we’re in the midst of winter the last thing we are really concerned about it getting our lawn ready for spring…
Then spring hits and we wish we had taken action when we had the chance. If we don’t prepare our lawns over the winter months, you may find that when the warmer weather comes you are left with a bare and patchy lawn that will be difficult to return to its former glory. Here are the best tips for getting your lawn ready for spring!
Start by Raking
Raking may seem like a tedious activity and you are most probably sick of it from having to do it throughout autumn, but it is well worth the time.
When you rake, you remove thatch which can inhibit new grass growth. Rake your lawn well to remove all the thatch and give the new grass chance to grow and thrive.
Liming
If your lawn looks as though moss has started growing on it, this could be a sign that your lawn is slightly acidic.
Moss isn’t like other weeds and simply pulling it out won’t rectify the situation. You need to return your lawn’s Ph to neutral so that grass can grow. To do this you will need to apply lime to the lawn by using a fertiliser spreader.
The size of your lawn will dictate how much lime you need, so follow manufactures guidelines.
Seeding
In high footfall areas or in areas that haven’t had a lot of sun over winter, you may see bald patches across your lawn.
Once you have let the lime settle and do its work, it is now time to reseed these areas. When you seed over these brown patches, apply a slow release fertiliser to help stimulate regrowth, in 5 weeks you should see a marked different in the appearance of your grass!
Once you have reached 5 weeks and the grass has germinated, apply a quick release fertilizer to stimulate growth quickly.
Weeding
Weeding is a vital part of lawn help and spring preparation. You may find that you have to spend a lot of time on your hands and knees weeding out flower beds and boarders, but the effort will be worth it.
You may find that you have clusters of weeds located in your lawn itself, if that it is the case, pull them out and reseed and treat is the same as the rest of your lawn.
Lawn Mowers
Once your grass has germinated and become established, you need to start trimming your lawn to keep it in top condition.
Firstly, you want to make sure that your lawn mower is in good condition as it may have deteriorated without consistent use over the winter. If you have a petrol mower, check the fuel levels and make sure that it has clean oil, this gives you the chance to find out if you need to perform a service.
If you prefer choosing an electric lawn mower, make sure the batteries hold their charge and are fully charged and ready to go for the start of the new season.
Once you have performed your preliminary engine or motor checks, you need to check the blades. You don’t want to be cutting your grass with dull or blunt blades and the best time to sharpen or replace them is before you need to mow your lawn.
Set your lawn mower with a high blade setting to make sure that you don’t pull up everything you’ve laid down and mow the lawn just to take the tips of the grass off.
This will even out the growth pattern of your lawn and make it look far thicker and healthier. To keep on top of lawn health, you don’t want the regrowth to get out of hand, so make sure that you do it at least once every two weeks in spring and summer.
Watering
In winter, you’ll find that your grass doesn’t need any intervention from you when it comes to watering, as this season is naturally wetter than spring and summer.
If you are having a particularly dry spring, then you will need to water your lawn to help it grow and keep it healthy. You don’t want to use a hose pipe with no end on it as this may result in you dampening particular areas too much, and over watering is worse than underwatering.
Get a sprinkler attachment for your hose pipe and change the location around your lawn every hour or so, to make sure that all your grass gets a light sprinkle of water. This way you won’t miss out on any areas and there is little risk of overwatering your lawn.
Final Thoughts
It is easy to leave lawn care until the last minute, but if you put the work in during the late winter, you’ll find the management of your lawn far easier when the good weather hits. Not only will you have a lawn that you can be proud of, you will also have a lawn that needs minimal work as you put in the time and effort when it was needed.
