The Lawncare Guide - April

Keep Off The Grass

Once a familiar sign in public places the command equally applies to newly sown grass which shouldn’t be walked on or mown until it reaches a height of at least 5-8cm (2-3in). April into May is the time to seed a new lawn on a prepared bed or overseed patches, providing it’s not too wet or frost is persisting.

Repairing the edges of an existing lawn with an edging iron or spade will keep the rapid spring growth from encroaching on borders and paths. Lumps, bumps and hollows can be evened out by pulling back turf to remove or add soil and then tramping it back down.

Now is the time for aerating and scarifying to get air to the roots of the plant and remove thatch and moss. If moss and weeds are a real problem it’s also the ideal month for applying a combined fertiliser, moss and weedkiller. This can either be applied as dry pellets with a spreader and then watered in if there’s no rain, or as a water-based solution. Always follow the instructions on the packaging.

Frequent mowing will by now be the order of the day, lowering the cutting deck on the garden tractor or blade on the mower to a minimum cutting height of 3cm (1.25”) for the average lawn. Most lawns will benefit from top dressing around this time, especially if you have scarified, with a mix of sieved soil, fine garden compost and sharp sand in a 3:2:3 ratio; or buy and apply a proprietary, ready mixed bulk dressing if you have a large area to cover.

If you’re laying new turf, on a fully prepared bed, don’t wait until the weather becomes too dry. You want the roots to take hold now while there is sufficient moisture in the ground. A mature lawn in good condition and not needing a weed and feed will still benefit from the application of a high nitrogen spring feed, preferably at the beginning of the month, to encourage growth.