Lawncare Action

How to Prep Your Lawn This Spring

In this blog, we provide easy-to-action advice on how to prep your lawn this Spring, covering:

• Lawn aeration
• Raking and moss removal
• Applying lawn fertiliser
• Sowing lawn seed

Depending on where you are in the country, your lawn may currently be hidden under a layer of snow, be a sodden underwater mess, or be parched following the driest February in England for 30 years.  That’s Spring for you!

Whatever the weather in your neck of the woods, at some point soon your lawn will be in need of some love and attention to get it prepared for Spring growth and the warmer months ahead. 

Begin Your Lawncare Maintenance With Aeration

Over the winter months, your lawn has been subjected to a lot of rain and has become compacted.  You could use a garden fork to drive holes into the lawn spaced approximately 15cm apart, but a hollow-tined aerator that removes cores of soil is more effective.  A basic model costs just £15.99, whilst The Handy Hollow Tine Aerator at £39.99 has the added advantage of a collection tray where the soil plugs are deposited.  For larger lawns, towed aerators are also available.  Once done, scatter sharp river sand across the area and actively sweep it into the holes to help dry out the ground.

Rake the lawn with a spring-tined rake to remove moss.  Moss can make a lawn uneven and spongy to walk on and, if left, can form dense mats which take resources such as water, nutrients and light away from the grass, preventing it from growing.

Assist Grass Growth, Feed It With a Lawn Fertiliser

Don’t guess the amount – measure the lawn area and weigh out the right amount of fertiliser and be sure to sprinkle it evenly.  This is made quicker and easier by using a drop spreader such as The Handy 56cm hand-propelled drop-spreader.  To save having to water the fertiliser, plan ahead and pick a day when it’s due to rain!

A quick and easy tip to improving the overall look of your lawn is to recut the edges using a half-moon iron or spade.  It really does make the lawn look instantly better. 

No matter how much care you take over your lawn, there are bound to be patches that need reseeding.  Once you have done the prep work laid out above, sow grass seed at a rate of 1.5 ounces per square metre.  If you have a large area to sow, use a Broadcast Spreader such as The Handy THS80 which combines a sizeable 3.66m maximum spread width with a lightweight design and smooth running pneumatic tyres.  Timing is important when it comes to sowing grass seed so aim to do it after it has rained or before light rain is due, so it will germinate quickly and take root. Heavy rains are likely to wash the seeds away, so should be avoided. 

Bed the Seed In, Use a Garden Roller

Follow these tips for a lawn that will be sure to spring back this Spring!

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