LAWN CARE DIY

All year round do it yourself lawn care tips

Note: you will need to alter the following according to Northern/Southern Hemisphere seasons.

WINTER MONTHS

DECEMBER/JANUARY

The only maintenance that should be carried out during the first two months of winter are occasional raking up of leaves. It's best to keep off the lawn at this time of year as you can harm it by walking on the frozen or waterlogged turf.

FEBRUARY

In milder parts of the country you can start to work on improving the appearance of your lawn now. The main job will be scattering worm casts using a stiff brush to disperse the soil.

SPRING

MARCH

Starting your Spring lawn care program.

Rake the lawn to remove leaves and rubbish as soon as the grass starts to grow and the weather and ground conditions are favourable. Be careful whilst raking as too much enthusiasm can damage your grass. If you have been experiencing heavy frosts during winter it is a good idea to settle the turf by lightly rolling. You can give the lawn it's first cut during this month. Set the mower blades high, as a close cut could result in yellowing of the grass.

A dry day is best for the first cut and two cuts should be sufficient this month. You should also examine the lawn for signs of moss and disease. Neaten the edges with a half moon cutter.

APRIL

Commence feeding and weeding at the end of April, as long as the grass and weeds are actively growing. If you are going to use lawn sand, ensure that it is spread evenly and any dead moss is raked up two weeks later.

You can mow more frequently now but do not cut lower than 2cm. On fine grass, dig out any patches of coarse grass and fill the holes with sifted soil then re-seed or re-turf.

MAY

Mowing can now be done more frequently and you can lower the height of the blades to give a closer cut. Drier climate areas will need more irrigation at this time of year. This is also an ideal time to killing off any lawn weeds.

SUMMER

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST

If the soil is moist and the grass is growing rapidly you can now mow twice a week but if you have been experiencing a long dry spell, raise the blades a little higher and do not use a grass catcher.

Now is the time to use a summer fertilizers, such as Lawn Sand, Sulphate of ammonia and dried blood, for greening up your lawn. Spot treat any weeds. It is also important at this time of year to rake the lawn before mowing to control clover runners.

Trim lawn edges and water well, especially in dry spells.

If you have been away on holiday and the grass has grown quite a bit, raise the blades on the mower so as not to shock the grass root system.

Note; August  is the last month that you should be applying any weed killers or nitrogen rich fertilizers.

AUTUMN

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER/NOVEMBER

At the beginning of Autumn mow less frequently and raise the blades on the mower. You might see some worm casts starting to appear, scatter these with a stiff brush to disperse the soil. If your grass is looking a little dull at this time of year, use a good autumn fertilizer, such as Bone meal, Super-phosphates, Potash these will stimulate a lush healthy lawn growth. 

This is a good time of year to carry out any general lawn maintenance repairs, such as stirring up the surface soil to remove any thatch or moss. You can then spike any compacted areas of grass to improve drainage. Top dressing at this time will help to even out lumps/bumps and improving the soil texture. Work the top dressing into the soil with the back of a steel rake.

November should be the last month for mowing your lawn before any frosts set in.

Lots more Lawn Care DIY Tips  here

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