Preparing your Lawn for Warm Weather Entertaining

Guest Blogger #465, Entry #1091, April 13, 2012

Now that spring has well and truly sprung, many of us will start turning our thoughts towards the garden – and more importantly what needs to be done to bring it up to scratch in time for summer. Spring is the ideal time to pull your old clothes on, get the tools out of the garage and start getting your garden ship shape before the weather really heats up and you want to start hosting some garden parties.

Your lawn, of course, plays a huge part in the presentation of your garden and now’s the ideal time to start treating your grass turf to some tender loving care to ensure your lawn looks its best come the summer.

Below are some hints and tips to help with the TLC.

Get your lawn ready for the warmer weather

Image via: Loot Vintage Rentals

Give your lawn a trim

Don’t start with a crew cut as too severe a cut can lead to your grass turf becoming stressed. Instead start with the cutters on a high setting in order to cut approximately a third of the grass off each time you mow. As the spring progresses and we move towards summer, reduce the height of the cutters and mow more often.

Feed your lawn

Come spring time your grass turf will grow exponentially compared with the other three seasons, therefore it will need feeding with the right fertiliser. Choose one that has weed and moss killer included, to produce a lush, dense and green lawn. If you have some really stubborn weeds then don’t rely on weed killers to do the heavy work for you – get your hands dirty and dig them up with a knife before they really start taking over.

Overseeding

Over the winter months your grass turf can be badly damaged by cold and frost causing it to become patchy and unattractive. The cure here is to overseed by mixing a matching lawn seed with topdressing, which should be brushed into the existing grass. The lawn seed will germinate during spring and repair any patchy or ugly areas.

The act of scarification

Scarification is the process of removing the build-up of dead grass, moss and roots from your grass turf.
The process usually involves pulling a rake vigorously through the grass.  For those less energetic soles out there you can now buy or hire a scarifying machine from DIY stores or garden centres.

Follow these tips for a beautiful yard

Image via: My Favorite and My Best

Aerating

Aeration can be carried out using a simple garden fork or a spiking machine and will improve drainage, relieve compaction, and allow for more air to get into grass roots – all of which help you to achieve a lovely healthy lawn.

Remove weed grasses – fast!

If you spot any weed grasses growing in or around your turf grass don’t ignore them but cut them out as soon as possible. Reseed any bare patches to help reduce the chance of the weeds returning and – if you follow the above tips – your lawn should grow strong and healthy and will fight off any attacks in the future.

Joe Flannery recommends that any UK homeowners looking for grass turf should visit www.rolawn.co.uk.

For more outdoor home ideas on Stagetecture, click here.