THE cold winter weather might feel like it will never end, but believe it or not spring is right around the corner.
But before you get too excited about the sunshine, there’s one job to tick off your to-do list – and time is running out to get it done.
Now is the perfect time to give your lawn a head start as we move into spring[/caption]
Getting your lawn ready for spring relies on a job to do now[/caption]
According to the gardening pros from Perfect Lawn Care, now is the perfect time to give your lawn it’s first mow of the year.
The last week of February or first week of March is the ideal time for a chop if you want to to grow back thicker – and who doesn’t want a lush lawn?
The pros told Express.co.uk: “As a general rule your first grass cut of the year should be in early Spring.
“Depending on weather and temperatures at the particular time, the last week in February or the first week in March is a great time to start.”
The idea is to mow your lawn before the weather starts to warm up, not after.
The experts urged gardening fans to only trim the top off the grass by keeping the blades high in a bid.
“This will stimulate the grass to grow and encourage it to thicken up, helping to keep out weeds and moss,” they explained.
During February, grass will remain in a dormant state, so keeping it long will help it absorb sunlight.
That’s why you don’t need to cut it short at this time, but rather give it a small trim.
So, how much should you cut off? According to the pros you should “never remove more than one third of the grass blades in one go.”
They explained: “Remember that the leaves on a grass plant are there to harvest energy from the sun and keep the plant alive.
“Winter days are short and the sun’s rays are weak. The larger the surface area of a plant’s leaves, the more sunshine it can harvest, so for winter lawns, longer is better.”
However, the advice does come with one caveat – don’t mow your lawn if the ground is still wet.
OTHER TRICKS TO PREPARE YOUR LAWN FOR SPRING
Chatting exclusively to Fabulous, a spokesperson for Garden Buildings Direct shared a few tips and tricks to get your garden ready for spring.
Tackle the weeds
Spring is back – and so are the weeds. But to prevent them for spreading, it’s important to remove these unsightly plants.
The guru said: ”Instead of a hoe, use a hand fork to dig the roots out as soil can still be fairly moist in spring months and leaving any of the plant in the ground can lead to re-rooting.”
Banish the patches
The harsh winter weather has left most gardens brown and patchy – but they can easily be brought back to life.
According to Chris Bonnett, the founder of Gardening Express, you should start by removing any debris that’s accumulated over the last few months.
The next step, he instructed, is aerating the lawn by poking small holes around the grass.
This will allow for water, air and all the essential nutrients to get to the roots.
”If you have a small patch of grass, then a garden fork should suffice. For larger areas, you may want to invest in a hollow-tined aerator,” Chris noted.
As well as stocking up on fertilisers, the pro added it’s key to improve drainage if you want to fix any boggy patches.
”This can be done by aerating and drainage channels, for example adding a soakaway.”
He went on: ”March is a good time to start mowing the lawn, but bear in mind that it should be at least 5°C outside.
”If the problem is more severe then it may be worth getting a French drain installed by professionals.”
Revive the lawn
Once the lawn is ready and you want to bring some life back into it, you should sow seeds into the ground.
When it grows back, mow the grass to a consistent level and keep it maintained, the experts advised.
”Check the forecast before cutting, as wet grass can damage your lawnmower.”
Plant new plants
According to the industry pros, spring is the perfect time to start planting again.
”Summer-flowering bulbs like Gladioli and Lilies are great choices to dazzle the garden with colour in just a few months’ time,” they noted.
March gardening jobs
The Sun’s Gardening Editor, Veronica Lorraine has shared the first gardening jobs of spring.
Start sowing seeds
You can plant Aubergine seeds into propagator – or outdoors after the last frost. Or you could try growbags in a coldframe – and hopefully you can harvest from August onwards.
Have a think about planting some different varieties of seeds this year – check out She Grows Veg and other sites for heirloom varieties. There’s an astonishing array on offer, like purple carrots, globe-shaped aubergines, lime green cauliflower or storage tomatoes that stay fresh for months.
Buy and plant summer bulbs
Summer flowering bulbs provide huge big blousey blooms – with some bringing a real touch of the tropics to your garden. Try Gladioli, dahlias, calla lilies, peonies and crocosmia.
Lawncare starts now!
Start your lawn care with a boosting high nitrogen spring feed, reseed any bare patches – and you’ll probably start mowing regularly in earnest this month. If you can – keep a corner long to help wildlife.
Check compost
Dig well rotting compost into your soil. If you have the space, it’s even worth digging trenches and chucking in your rotting veg that’s usually destined for the recycling bin – then cover. It adds great nutrients for free.
Clean outside spaces
Time to blast your patios and paths with a pressure washer – if your children are responsible enough it’s a great job for them – they’ll get soaked and have fun at the same time.
Soak sweet peas
Soak your sweet peas before sowing into long narrow pots or toilet rolls – put two seeds in a pot. These can go in an unheated greenhouse – and when there’s three or four pairs of leaves, pinch out the growing tip which will make them grow outward instead of upwards.
Create a wildflower meadow
Sow a wildflower meadow – if you have room. A lot of shops now sell wildflower mixes to make things easier – or even seed bombs which can just be scattered onto the soil.
