The Lawncare Guide - April

A good time to weed and feed

It is quite likely after the first cut of the season your lawn reveals patches of moss that have grown through winter. Poor draining, wet soils, inadequately fertilised soil, areas of shade and compaction can all lead to moss development and spread. Moss reproduces via hundreds and thousands of minuscule spores produced in spring and autumn before the mother plant dies. 

Raking the moss before it has completely died spreads the spores over the lawn. There are several ways to treat moss and a good way to start is by scarifying and aerating. Scarifying will clear out of thatch and moss while aerating before the ground becomes hardened helps the soil warm up and allows it to drain more freely by breaking up compaction. By aerating you open up pore spaces allowing air and water to reach the plant root for healthier growth. 

Compaction leads to a stressed plant and the development of thatch. Around the middle of April, on a moss-free lawn, you can apply a lawn fertiliser but if you have residual moss it is best to treat this first with lawn sand (containing sulphate of iron or ferrous sulphate and nitrogen). The sulphate kills the moss which blackens and can be raked out when dead. The nitrogen encourages growth. Other treatments would be a combined weed, moss killer and feed such as Evergreen Complete 4in1.

If your lawn is free of moss but weeds are proliferating, you can use a selective weedkiller like Weedol liquid to spot spray the weeds. From this month on you will probably be mowing the lawn more frequently. It is worth remembering the rule of not cutting more than a third off the height of the grass to maintain a healthier lawn