How and when to use lawn feeds and treatments
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With spring just around the corner, warmer weather could be on the horizon, meaning it is important to start maintaining the lawn now to ensure it doesn’t struggle. There are several jobs gardeners should be doing when it comes to lawn, according to an expert, including raking, feeding and mowing.
1. Rake the lawn
Speaking to Express.co.uk, Fiona Jenkins, gardening expert at MyJobQuote.co.uk, explained: “In March, as the weather begins to warm up, gardeners should rake the lawn to remove any dead leaves, twigs and debris that have accumulated over the winter.
“Raking also helps to loosen the soil and allows air and water to penetrate the roots of the grass. This process stimulates growth and helps the lawn to recover from the dormancy of winter.
“Gardeners should then apply a pre-emergent herbicide to prevent the growth of weeds. Herbicide works by creating a barrier on the soil’s surface that prevents weeds from germinating.
“This is an essential step in lawn care as it prevents weeds from competing with the grass for nutrients and sunlight.”
2. Feed the lawn
Gardeners should also apply a slow release fertiliser to their lawn, which will provide the grass with nutrients it needs to grow and stay healthy.
Slow release fertilisers are ideal as they gradually release the nutrients over a period of time, providing a steady supply to the lawn and making it easier for gardeners.
The expert continued: “To make the grass green and thick for summer, gardeners should continue to fertilise their lawn regularly throughout the spring and summer months.
“A balanced fertiliser that contains nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium is ideal. You should water the lawn thoroughly and regularly to help roots grow deep and strong.” Proper watering also encourages new growth and helps to prevent dry patches.
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3. Mow the lawn
Although it is nearly spring, areas of the UK are still experiencing bitter temperatures, meaning mowing the lawn may not be needed this month.
Grass starts growing when the soil temperature reaches around 10C consistently for two weeks.
Fiona said: “In March, it’s better to mow your lawn less frequently. It’s recommended to mow the lawn every two to three weeks, depending on how quickly it’s growing.
“It’s important to note that during the early spring months, grass can be vulnerable, and cutting it too short can damage the roots.
“When cutting the lawn, it’s important to take off no more than one-third of the grass blade’s length with each cut.
“Taking off too much grass can cause stress to the lawn, leaving it vulnerable to disease and insect damage.
“It’s also important to keep the mower blades sharp as dull blades can tear the grass, leading to brown, uneven patches.”
One problem gardeners may face with their lawns in spring is moss, which is often growing in damp, poorly drained lawns.
Carlos Real, lawn expert and managing director of lawn care product manufacturer TotalLawn, said: “If you have a lot of moss, you simply need to kill it.
“This is done with a heavy dose of Iron Sulphate, which is a key ingredient in many moss killing products and can eliminate moss in just a few days.
“After applying this, the moss should turn black within two to three days, then it’s ready for removal. To remove dead moss, it’s simply a job of raking it from the lawn with a handheld rake, and discarding.
“To avoid spreading it further, avoid raking the moss too far and instead take a refuse bag to collect up the remnants at the source. You’ll be surprised at just how much moss comes out of the ground.”
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