To properly tend to your garden, all year round maintenance will be required. To stay on top of your garden care, see our helpful calendar below. This will lend a guide as to when you should be mowing the lawn, re-seeding the grass or sweeping the leaves - and much more!
January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December
It’ll be cold and mostly damp outside so ensure you remain warm and dry, but during these dreary months you should be keeping the lawn clear of fallen leaves.
If you find that your lawn is looking a little patchy, and the ground appears to not be frozen, these areas can be prepared for re-seeding.
To do this you need to......
- Dig the area over, removing any large debris and weeds.
- Mix in some compost.
- Avoid walking on the lawn if it is frozen or waterlogged, this may prevent your lawn maintenance and delay the time it’ll take for the grass to grow back lush and plentiful.
Also it is worth taking this opportunity to do a quick lawn mower MOT, making sure the blade is still sharp and the motor is serviced.
With Winter coming to a close and Spring fast approaching, you should find that the ground is becoming dry and unfrozen now. If you've been lucky enough to get a dry spell then it's time for the first cut.
Getting the mower out, raise the mower blades for a high cut which will 'top' the grass. If there are bare, compacted patches on the lawn, use a garden fork to spike the ground to a depth of about 10cm - and then brush in a mixture of sand and compost. This will help aerate the soil.
eSpares Top Tip: Make sure not to mow when the lawn is wet! As if you do it won't cut evenly, and fungus can establish in newly mown wet grass.
With Spring officially in full swing now you’ll really want to regularly cut your lawn, to help keep the grass trimmed and even.
eSpares Top Tip: Don't mow the grass lower than 2-3 cm from the ground. Take no more than one third off the total length of the grass on each cut.
Now is the time to sow the grass seed into the areas you are re-seeding; tread the areas you prepared previously (during January/February), level them out and then rake to a fine tilth. Sow the grass seed and cover lightly with dry soil, gently firming down the surface, and then make sure you water well without drowning the seed.
Continue mowing to encourage growth, also apply a feed and weed product to encourage the new growth and to control moss and weeds.
Where you have re-seeded, you should now be able to give the seedlings their first cut - but only when their shoots are about 5-7 cm high. It is imperative that you do not apply weed killer to grass that is less than six months old.
You're aiming just to 'top' them at this stage so, like you did previously in March, you need to raise your mower blades as high as they will go.
Make sure the mower blade is sharp, otherwise the young seedlings will get tugged out from the soil.
With Summer and the longer days finally here, you will hopefully have more opportunity to mow your lawn. If the weather is hot and dry, you should mow less frequently and consider raising the blades for a higher cut - as less moisture will be lost this way. Subject to hosepipe bans (check your local Council), water the grass thoroughly during dry spells using a sprinkler.
Spot treat any stubborn weeds with a weed killer. Scarify the lawn (rake with a spring tine rake) to remove any dead thatch and moss. This will prevent brown patches appearing.
Continue to mow and scarify the lawn and also check for areas that could do with some additional re-seeding. For how to do this, follow the steps in March to ensure you re-seed correctly.
With Summer coming to an end and Autumn fast approaching - you’ll want to keep maintaining your garden. Like in previous months, you can keep cutting the lawn - however raise the blades to leave a longer cut. You can still scarify and re-seed your lawn if there are any bare or grass lacking patches.
If the weather allows it, you can continue mowing. October is the month where you’ll be looking at performing your final cut of the year.
Whichever day you choose to perform this, simply 'top' the grass abd also 'top' the young grass seedlings too.
You can also aerate the soil by spiking and composting, just as you did way back in March. You should now also apply some autumn feed and weed.
If you’re lucky enough to bask in a dry and somewhat warm day, take advantage and simply give your lawn one more cut - otherwise just keep the lawn free of fallen leaves to keep it looking neat and tidy.
Let's face it, the weather is miserable and the Holidays are around the corner, if you do get some time, simply clear the lawn of any fallen leaves.
eSpares Top Tip: If, during the cold and wet months the lawn is frozen or waterlogged, we advise staying off the lawn.
For more useful articles on how to properly care for your lawn and gardening tools click here to browse our catalogue of advice articles for tips, tricks and guides.
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