Having a lush green lawn is the key to making your garden look spectacular in spring, but it is crucial to tend to your grass carefully in March, or it may not grow at all. Many gardeners make the mistake of mowing their grass too early in spring when the weather is still cold, which can have devastating effects on their lawns.
Grass goes dormant over winter, which means it stops growing completely. If you cut it too early, you can damage the new growth. It may not be able to recover or develop healthy roots, so you will have to deal with a yellow, patchy lawn for the rest of the year.
The best way to keep your grass healthy is to only mow your lawn when you have noticed the weather is consistently warm and there are fewer cold spells.
There is no specific date to know, but Matt Adams, the founder of The Restless Gardener, has shared that now in March is the time to mow your lawn.
He said: “In the UK, March is likely to be the beginning of the growth period. Ensure that the ground has thawed, and the grass has started to grow.”
When the weather has been between 10C during the day for a few weeks, it will probably be safe to begin mowing again.
However, make sure to wait until the grass begins to look greener and maybe a little overgrown before getting your mower out. There is no point cutting a short browning lawn still recovering from winter.
While you wait for the right time to cut your grass, prepare your mower and set it on a higher setting so you do not cut the lawn too short.
Matt said: “Set your lawn mower to a higher cutting height for the first few mows of the season.”
“March is also the time when you should make sure your mower blades are sharp. Dull blades can tear the grass, leading to a brown, unhealthy appearance.”
If you cut too much grass in spring, your lawn will be more vulnerable to weather, pests, and disease, which can stress it out.
This means the grass will not be able to build its strength and recover from winter, so will be much weaker and less likely to survive during the the hot summer weather
If you want to keep the lawn strong, it is better to make sure the grass blades are still at least three to four inches tall after mowing.
Taking the time to be patient and not mow the lawn too soon will ensure a lusher, fuller lawn that is more likely to stay healthy for the rest of the year.