WITH April just days away, if you want your grass to be ‘strong and lush’, you’ve come to the right place and will need to listen up.
As spring blossoms, many UK homeowners are turning their focus to their lawns, preparing for the warmer weather ahead.
And there’s nothing worse than sitting outside with your friends in the summer, only to be faced with ugly, overgrown grass.
A pristine lawn is often the centrepiece of a well-kept garden, and as a result, it's essential to start your lawn care at the optimal time.
Not only this, but according to experts, you’ll need to mow your lawn to a very precise height if you want to cultivate a robust and verdant turf that's nothing short of picture-perfect.
Sean Walsh, head of marketing at Protectivity and founder of Easy Garden Irrigation, has revealed that you’ll need to get your lawn mowed this weekend if you want it looking fabulous for summer.
Sean, who has more than 15 years in gardening and irrigation, explained: “Spring is just around the corner, and millions of us will be planning to give our homes and gardens some TLC as the temperatures increase and the days become longer.”
According to Sean, gardeners are making four common mistakes – and that involves cutting grass too short, watering prematurely in the season, neglecting soil preparation, and overlooking pests.
Additionally, for green-thumbed enthusiasts, it's also vital to watch for indicators of both overwatering and underwatering.
Regarding the ideal length for trimming your lawn, Sean Lade claimed: “Keep mowing heights around 4cm to encourage strong, lush growth.”
He also expressed: “Many gardeners start watering heavily as soon as spring arrives, but plants need a balance. Overwatering in cool temperatures can lead to root rot.
“Skipping soil improvement (e.g., adding compost or organic matter) results in poor plant health and lacklustre growth.
“Cutting the grass too low in early spring weakens the roots, leading to patchy lawns and encouraging weed growth.
“Warmer weather brings pests like aphids and slugs. Preventative measures, such as companion planting or natural deterrents, can help protect plants before problems arise.”
Not only this, but Sean then highlighted the importance of lawn care and weed control for a flourishing garden, as he recognised: “Your lawn starts actively growing in March and April, so give it a good start by raking out moss and thatch, aerating compacted areas, and applying a spring lawn feed.
“Weeds also begin to take off in early spring… removing them now prevents a bigger problem later. Hoe annual weeds on dry days and hand-pull deep-rooted weeds like dandelions to stop them from spreading.
“Mulching beds and borders will also help suppress new weed growth.”
March gardening jobs
Flying Eze's Gardening Editor, Veronica Lorraine has shared the first gardening jobs of spring.
Start sowing seeds
You can plant Aubergine seeds into propagator – or outdoors after the last frost. Or you could try growbags in a coldframe – and hopefully you can harvest from August onwards.
Have a think about planting some different varieties of seeds this year – check out She Grows Veg and other sites for heirloom varieties. There’s an astonishing array on offer, like purple carrots, globe-shaped aubergines, lime green cauliflower or storage tomatoes that stay fresh for months.
Buy and plant summer bulbs
Summer flowering bulbs provide huge big blousey blooms – with some bringing a real touch of the tropics to your garden. Try Gladioli, dahlias, calla lilies, peonies and crocosmia.
Lawncare starts now!
Start your lawn care with a boosting high nitrogenspring feed, reseed any bare patches – and you’ll probably start mowing regularly in earnest this month. If you can – keep a corner long to help wildlife.
Check compost
Dig well rotting compost into your soil. If you have the space, it's even worth digging trenches and chucking in your rotting veg that's usually destined for the recycling bin – then cover. It adds great nutrients for free.
Clean outside spaces
Time to blast your patios and paths with a pressure washer – if your children are responsible enough it’s a great job for them – they’ll get soaked and have fun at the same time.
Soak sweet peas
Soak your sweet peas before sowing into long narrow pots or toilet rolls – put two seeds in a pot. These can go in an unheated greenhouse – and when there’s three or four pairs of leaves, pinch out the growing tip which will make them grow outward instead of upwards.
Create a wildflower meadow
Sow a wildflower meadow – if you have room. A lot of shops now sell wildflower mixes to make things easier – or even seed bombs which can just be scattered onto the soil.
But that’s not all, as Sean also revealed his wisdom on the approach to watering plants and grass in the upcoming weeks, as he advised: “Spring is a critical time for watering as temperatures rise and plants come out of dormancy.
“The best time to water is early in the morning or late in the evening to reduce evaporation and give plants enough time to absorb moisture.
Keep mowing heights around 4cm to encourage strong, lush growth
Sean Walsh
“Lawns should be watered deeply but less frequently to encourage deep root growth – around one inch per week is ideal, depending on rainfall.”
As well as this, Sean claimed that “yellowing leaves, wilting despite wet soil and mould growth” are all signs that you're over watering, while indicators of not watering enough manifest as “dry, crispy leaves, slow growth, and soil pulling away from the edges of pots or beds”.
To find the perfect watering equilibrium, Sean advised checking the soil moisture.
You can do this by “pushing a finger into the soil or using a moisture meter can help maintain the right balance”.
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