Spring is in full swing, and if you want to look out on a lush, healthy lawn before summer arrives, now is the time to start working on it. Luckily, there’s a foolproof set of April lawn care tips you can follow.
April is a really important month in the lawn care calendar: as grass leaves winter dormancy behind and begins actively growing again, the TLC you give it now will pay dividends over the year ahead.
Here’s a list of April lawn care tips to get started with this weekend.
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What you’ll need
Miracle-Gro
Evergreen Complete 4-In-1 Lawn Food
A 4-in-1 granular lawn fertiliser that targets weeds and moss, too.
Johnsons
Quick Lawn seed With Accelerator (1.25kg)
Perfect for growing new grass at speed.
Vonhaus
1500W Electric Lawn Scarifier & Rake
This handy tool takes some of the effort out of scarifying.
1. Keep mowing light
At this time of year, there’s the age-old question of when to cut your grass after winter, but April gives us the green light we’ve been waiting for.
That doesn’t mean you should scalp your lawn, though. Since it’s still early in the growing season, the pioneering April lawn care tip is to mow your grass lightly.
‘When it comes to mowing, the first cut of spring should be gentle,’ says Peter Chaloner, managing director of powered lawn mower manufacturer Cobra Garden. ‘Set your mower to a higher cutting height of around 33–34mm to avoid removing too much of the grass blade, and then gradually lower the blades for future mows.’
Peter says a light trim will save an already fragile lawn unnecessary stress while promoting fresh growth (and, of course, making your garden look tidier).
A lawn mower with adjustable cutting heights, like the Husqvarna Aspire LC34-P4A, available at Amazon (our favourite lawn mower right now!), will give you that extra bit of control over the length of your grass. It’s also a good idea to straighten your lawn’s edges for an even neater touch.
2. Feed your lawn
It’s also really important to know what to feed your lawn in spring. Fertiliser can make a world of difference to tired, winter-worn grass in April – and you can either buy granular or liquid lawn feed, depending on how quickly your grass needs a boost.
‘After winter, grass is emerging from dormancy and often lacks the nutrients needed to support renewed growth,’ says Cheryl Harper, managing director of Greensleeves Lawn Care. ‘A good spring feed helps thicken the turf, restore a rich green colour and sets the lawn up for a strong growing season ahead.’
Miracle-Gro Evergreen Complete 4-in-1 Lawn Food, which you can buy from Amazon, kills weeds and moss, too.
3. Scarify
Learning how to scarify your lawn in April will rid your grass of thatch and moss, leaving plenty of air circulation and room for light and nutrients to reach the soil.
‘A spring tine rake is suitable for smaller lawns, while a mechanical scarifier is ideal for larger or heavily affected areas,’ says Angharad James from Maxicrop.
‘Timing is important, and this process should be carried out during active grass growth in spring or early autumn to allow for quick recovery.’
I rate the WOLF-Garten Scarifying Roller Rake from Amazon (you can buy the WOLF-Garten lightweight aluminium handle, which fits other WOLF-Garten tools, separately).
4. Sow fresh grass seed
It’s also worth learning how to overseed your lawn if it’s looking sparse or patchy. It’s a brilliant follow-up April lawn care tip if you’ve just scarified your lawn, too.
‘Reseeding any bare patches will keep the lawn looking full and healthy as temperatures rise,’ says B&Q’s head of outdoor, Rory Parkes.
‘Before sowing, apply a top dressing first to give your seeds the best foundation for growth,’ adds Kate Turner, Miracle-Gro’s gardening guru. ‘Once seeded, make sure you keep the area moist until growth has established, and try to avoid stepping on the grass till it’s well established.’
Grass seed like the Westland Gro-Sure Fast-Start Smart Lawn Seed from B&Q germinates well in cold weather, too.
5. Aerate
If you haven’t learned how to aerate your lawn before, there’s a good chance your garden will thank you for it.
Compacted lawns struggle to take in air, water and nutrients, which means aeration is the technique that could hold the key to improving drainage in a lawn.
‘Regular aeration in spring and autumn helps keep roots strong and reduces moss-friendly conditions,’ says Angharad from Maxicrop.
‘Spiking the lawn with a garden fork or hollow tine aerator, especially in high-traffic areas, can significantly improve airflow and drainage. In more severe cases, hollow tine aeration removes small cores of soil, relieving compaction more effectively.’
Angharad also recommends applying a light top dressing of sand or sandy loam after aeration to further enhance soil structure. This Elixir Gardens Lawn Sand from Amazon contains iron and nitrogen for an even bigger boost.
If you’re thinking about starting from scratch, you can learn how to lay turf in spring, too.
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