|
February
When conditions allow (see January), spike or aerate
any consistently wet areas on the lawn and add some horticultural sharp
sand. Brush off worm casts on dry days. Now might also be a good time to make
sure that your mower is serviced, the blades sharpened and ready to go when
mowing starts again. Towards the end of the month if the lawn surface is dry,
run the mower over the lawn and "top" it. Setting the cutting height at 1 inch
(25mm) however, don't cut if a frost is forecast in the following
days.
March
Start to
mow your lawn regularly at a height of 1 inch (25mm) when the surface is dry. If
your lawn contains finer grasses, reduce the height to 15mm - 20mm. Never cut
your lawn too short - doing this will remove most of the grass leaf which
convert sunlight into essential food, especially at these low light times of the
year, Cut the grass too short and you cut its lifeline. Always keep the blades
of the mower sharp as the tips of the grass will turn brown if it is not cut
cleanly. Remove your cuttings, especially at this time of year, as cuttings left
on the lawn will cause thatch to build up.
Thatch is one of the most
common lawn problems and is a continual build up of dead and decaying vegetation
that acts like a barrier between the surface and the all important root area of
the grass plant. If you notice thatch, you should rake it out. For ease, you can
hire a mechanical scarifier but do make sure you run the mower over the lawn
afterward - on a high setting to collect the debris.
Apply a moss killer
if needed - note: moss should be killed off before scarifying. After scarifying
it is an ideal time to over sow your lawn with fresh grass
seed.
April
You
should now be increasing the frequency of your mowing according to the weather
conditions and the grass growth. Feed your lawn with a spring/summer fertiliser
that is high in nitrogen or with a combined Weed and Feed product. Sometimes
these weed and feed products contain moss killers but we would recommend that
you kill and remove the moss as a separate action, before scarifying. Re-seed
any worn or bare patches.
May
Continue with regular mowing as this will encourage a
more dense and thicker grass. Consider watering in prolonged dry spells if your
water company allows this. Fertilising with a high nitrogen feed can still be
carried out until the end of July at six to eight week
intervals.
June
Continue mowing regularly to a height of about 1 inch
(25mm) Water your lawn if it needs it.
July and August
Continue mowing and
watering.
September
It's time to fertilise again but this time with an
autumn/winter product also the summer may have left lawns in a poor state, so
now is a good time to reseed bare patches or worn areas. Use an autumn
pre-seeding fertiliser and re-seed to repair the damage. Later in the month
consider spiking your lawn to open up the soil and improve drainage. This will
help stop the lawn becoming waterlogged during the winter. Collect fallen
leaves. Continue to mow as needed, raising the blades
slightly
October
Continue to cut your lawn down to 1 inch (25mm) on
warm and dry days. Clear fallen leaves as if left they will encourage worm
activity and can cause fungal damage and bare patches if left. (Put the leaves
on the compost heap or in sacks, punctured with a fork. They will rot down to
provide leaf mould.
November
If the weather is mild a cut may be necessary but
don't mow in very wet or frosty weather. Apply autumn fertiliser. Collect leaves
for the compost heap or rot for leaf mould.
December
Complete leaf clearance. Clean
and overhaul mowers, clean, oil and sharpen other tools where necessary. Dig
over any areas that you want to seed in the spring.
|
Print