Moss and weeds are two of the most concerning issues gardeners have when it comes to lawns in the spring and summer months.
As well as moss and weeds, lawns will need some work to bring them back to life and luckily Stuart Staples, head of technical, at Westland Horticulture, has just the advice.
The lawn specialist has listed some simple tasks to complete over the coming weeks to help your lawn recover and get it “thriving ahead of summer”.
1. Mow with caution
Grass will now start growing more rapidly as it responds to the warmer temperatures and longer daylight hours.
For the first few cuts of the season, use your lawn mower on the highest setting to remove no more than the top third of the grass, and allow it to recover for a few days before cutting on a lower setting.
If the lawn is particularly wet or there’s frost on the ground, avoid mowing altogether.
2. Deal with moss immediately
Moss can often take over lawns during the winter. Moss will thrive in excessive moisture, low light levels and even compacted soil, which all lead to poor grass growth too.
Spring is the “best time” to act against moss before it spreads any further. To treat it, Stuart recommends using a moss killer before scarifying, otherwise, you may run the risk of spreading the moss through its spores whilst it is being scarified.
Moss is “much easier to remove” after being treated with a moss killer. Stuart recommends using Westland’s All In One lawn feed, weed and moss killer, which currently retails for £15 at Wickes and £14 at Homebase.
The expert claimed that not only does this product rid your lawn of moss and weeds, “it also feeds your lawn too, creating a healthier, stronger lawn, in just seven days”.
3. Aerate compact lawns
Compacted soil will make it harder for rainwater to drain and this often happens in heavily used areas. If you suffer from puddles on your lawn, then aeration is the solution.
If you aerate your lawn in spring it allows oxygen, water and nutrients to reach the roots of your grass, which will promote “healthy growth and improved drainage”.
Aeration creates small holes in your soil beneath the lawn, and “you can use a tool for this to make it an easier task”, claimed the expert.
He recommended the Kent and Stowe Lawn Aerator which has four hollow tines to remove a plug of soil.
A great alternative that works the same way and retails for less is the hollow tine lawn aerator from Crocus that’s currently on sale for £20.24.
4. Overseed your lawn
After you’ve removed weeds and moss, you may be left with bare patches, so to ensure a thick carpet of strong grass for summer, now is the time to overseed. Overseeding your lawn is a simple weekend task, use a rake to scarify and break up the surface of the soil to a finer consistency.
Stuart then recommends gardeners apply a layer of Gro-Sure Lawn Seeding Soil to increase the germination rate by 25 percent before applying the grass seed and raking the seed into the surface.
Grass should then “sprout within a week or two” depending on conditions, but make sure to water it if it gets too dry.
