The very best March lawn care tips kill two birds with one stone: they revive a winter-worn lawn while getting it ready to become a sea of lush green over the year ahead.
March is the ideal month in the lawn care calendar to tackle problem areas like moss, bare patches and general debris and messiness that’s to be expected after a cold, wet winter.
Article continues below
What you’ll need
Johnsons Lawn Seed
Johnsons Lawn Quick Lawn With Accelerator (1.25kg)
Perfect for growing new grass at speed.
Worx
Worx W163E 20V Max GT3 Grass Trimmer
Our favourite cordless strimmer for edging lawns.
Walensee
Walensee Lawn Aerator
Ideal for improving lawn drainage.
1. Clear debris
Twigs, leaves and other debris are a common sight at this time of the year, and if they’ve ended up on your lawn, it’s best to clear them before you get started with other March lawn care tips.
There’s always the debate around whether or not you should remove leaves from your lawn, but right now, it’s wise to give them a proper spring clean before tackling other tasks.
‘Before giving the lawn its first light cut, brush the surface vigorously with a stiff broom to remove leaves, twigs and any winter debris that may have accumulated,’ advises Guy Jenkins, consumer manager at Johnsons Lawn Seed.
This Charles Bentley Set of 2 Stiff and Soft Broom Set from Argos is ideal for a range of spring garden jobs.
2. Mow at the right time
As grass exits its period of winter dormancy, growth begins to accelerate – and before you know it, you’ve got an overgrown lawn on your hands.
It’s crucial that you know exactly when to give your grass its first cut after winter, though. Usually, it’s best to wait until temperatures stay consistently above 8°C, and make sure you don’t trim it too short on its first cut of the year.
‘At this stage, the lawn should only receive very light cuts,’ says Guy. ‘Two gentle passes to simply ‘tip off’ the grass are usually sufficient while growth is still slow. Avoid cutting too short early in the season as this can weaken the lawn just as it begins to recover from winter.’
To avoid tearing the grass and leaving it vulnerable to a host of common lawn diseases, it’s wise to sharpen your lawn mower blades before you get started.
3. Aerate your lawn
One of the best March lawn care tips for a garden that needs more drainage? Learning how to aerate your lawn – and if you’ve noticed more puddling than usual, your lawn is likely compacted, and the ideal candidate for this invaluable lawn care practice.
‘Grab a garden fork and puncture holes about 15cm deep,’ advises Julian. ‘By making holes in your lawn, you are allowing it to breathe again.’
You can buy aerating tools, such as this Crystals Manual Grass Spikes Roller from Amazon to make the process easier. Julian also recommends filling in the holes with a topdressing mix, like Hardys 25L Turf & Lawn Top Dressing Soil from B&Q.
4. Tidy lawn edges
Besides mowing the body of your lawn, March is the ideal time to tidy its overgrown edges.
‘Trimming lawn edges, which are often unruly after the mild autumn, with a half-moon edging iron or flat-bladed spade makes a surprising difference to the lawn’s looks and reduces the busy spring workload,’ says Guy Barter, chief horticulturist at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). ‘Use planks to work from if the lawn is on the soggy side.’
There are plenty of brilliant cordless strimmers on the market that can make the task quick and simple, like the WORX WG163E 18V (20V MAX) Cordless Grass Trimmer from Amazon, but if you’d prefer to trim your lawn’s edges manually, these Spear & Jackson Razorsharp Edging Shears from Argos are ideal.
5. Feed your lawn
Towards the end of the month, you can start thinking about what to feed your lawn in spring.
‘In spring, your lawn is coming out of winter dormancy and needs a high-nitrogen fertiliser to jump-start its growth,’ says Jonathan Davis of Lawnsmith.
This Elixir Gardens Spring & Summer Granular Lawn Fertiliser from Amazon is a brilliant all-rounder.
A spring feed is also ideal if you’ve just sown grass seed. Speaking of which…
6. Start sowing grass seed
If you’re wondering when to reseed your lawn, you can add the task to this month’s list. It’s one of the best March lawn care tips for gardeners looking for ways to tackle sparse-looking grass.
‘Now you’ve worked on the lawn, sow some grass seed to thicken thin patches,’ says David Glass, head gardener at Bowood Estate. ‘Rake the seed in gently and roll the surface to firm it. Once the grass is established, apply a slow-release lawn feed to maintain healthy growth through the season.’
You can also learn how to overseed a lawn in spring, especially as we head into April and early spring frosts start to become less of a problem.
Keep these March lawn care tips up your sleeve and you’ll notice strong, green growth pushing through over the coming months.
Read the full article here