As with all other times of the year, there are a myriad of tasks to be performed in your garden to keep it looking and feeling as healthy as it was when you first laid it.
The gardener’s calendar has always been a particularly busy one and in this age of unpredictable weather patterns and, with changes to our climate proving more and more evident, that calendar is becoming fuller.
Spring is that time of year which paves the way for how the rest of the gardener’s calendar will unfold and, just like in the autumn months, when there is less growing but just as much work, spring is characteristically busy with the push to help kick start the growing season again.
Mowing
In terms of growing, your grass will begin to grow faster again as the weather turns warmer and sunnier days are evident. In the early part of spring, roll your lawn if it has been lifted by frosts and then mow as you would normally. You should start with the blades high and lower them as the spring goes on so that by the time late spring, early summer rolls around you are mowing weekly and have reverted to a summer cut.
Aeration
As late spring approaches, this is the time to aerate your lawn. Scratch the surface of the lawn with a rake to allow the soil to absorb water and allow it to breathe.
Scarification
Scarifying your lawn should also be done in the later months of spring, this will allow you to drag free those dead blades of grass and also any moss or loose debris that has found its way into your lawn. It is important to do this because as the grass begins to grow again, so does the risk of disease. By scarifying your grass you are helping to reduce the risk of disease and increasing the chances of having a lawn that looks and feels like it did the previous summer.
Overseeding
Again this is very much dependent on the general wear and tear that the lawn has sustained during the autumn and winter months. It is unlikely that there will have been a great deal of activity from a human perspective during these months but considering such things as heavy rainfall and snowfall there may be patches of grass that need to be re-seeded. Overseed in early spring to ensure growth in time for the summer.
Moss Control
Sprinkling lawn sand over infected areas of lawn will kill the moss and once it has died and turned to black you can rake it free without fear of damaging your grass.
Additional Tasks
As well as carrying out the aforementioned tasks to help keep your lawn in tip-top condition it is also advisable to sweep away any worm casts that may be visible on the lawn, this can be done with a sturdy brush. You may also need to recut some of your lawn’s edges and this can be done using a half moon edger and a plank of wood to give a smooth straight line.
If you carry out these tasks in the spring then by the time the summer months come around your lawn should resemble the way it did last summer.