Lawn Care Calendar - Squire's Garden Centres

Lawn Care Calendar

When it comes to lawn care, things are generally seasonal. The changing weather and temperature, the life cycles of plant life and the shifting patterns of lawn use all contribute to a seasonal division of lawn care. Certain things just have to be done in spring, summer, autumn and winter. However, it’s perfectly possible – even preferable – to divide things even further. As summer winds down, for example, it’s time to prepare for autumn, preparation from September can see your lawn through the cold winter and so on. As well as recognising that duties can change within a single season, a lawn care calendar can simply give excellent peace of mind.

January

The year kicks off with a slow start when it comes to lawn care. The truth is, there isn’t a great deal to do in January. Still, in the dead of winter, your lawn will hardly be growing (and you still have several weeks before it picks up). If you’ve been diligent enough in late autumn and made the necessary preparations for winter, then there’s not a great deal to do here. Time to relax and ease yourself into the year.

February

February may not seem terribly different from January, but spring is just around the corner. The ground may still be hard, the frost still visible, but now’s the time to make some preparations. It’s a good idea to start up any garden machinery to ensure it’s still in working order and hasn’t been adversely affected by the cold. Now is also the time to sharpen your lawnmower blades, the mowing season is about to begin.

March

Spring is here, and with it is ushered in a vital time for lawn care. Spring is the best time to repair the ravages of winter and lay the groundwork for a dense and green sward throughout the year. As well as beginning to mow regularly, March is when you should apply your first feed of the year. As spring progresses into summer, we enter the danger zone for moss and weeds. As such, March is the perfect time to take preventative measures. Products can be used are Miracle-Gro Evergreen Complete 4in1, Westland Safe Lawn, Miracle-Gro Evergreen No Moss No Rake and Mo Bacter for Moss Removal. Apply moss killer and scarify. Your lawn will look rough at first but the benefits will be seen in a few months’ time.

April

By April, you should ideally be mowing your lawn about once a week. It is also helpful to gradually reduce your mowing height until you reach your desired height by the end of April – this will help prevent an uneven or patchy lawn. April is also the perfect time to apply new seed such as Gro-Sure Smart Seed Fast Start, Gro-Sure Smart Seed, or Gro-Sure Fast Acting Lawn Seed, again setting things up for an even and verdant lawn.

May

By the end of spring, the feed applied in March should be taken up by lawn plant life. Keep an eye on this and selectively reapply if necessary. It is also important to keep an eye on weeds at this time of the year. By May, your lawn should be firmly established at the desired height, meaning this is the best time to add lawn stripes if you like. Keep up the mowing and you’re all set for summer!

June

With the onset of summer comes a slightly paradoxical situation: Your lawn will now be growing at its fastest rate – possibly necessitating bi-weekly mowing – but the danger of dehydration has arrived, meaning it may be advisable to let your lawn grow a little longer in order to retain moisture. Luckily, it’s easy to spot the onset of dehydration, so use your best judgement and cut back the mowing slightly if you notice any dead or browned grass. For the same reason, you should also begin a more frequent watering regime and keep it up for the summer. Your lawn should by now be looking its best, but just to be on the safe side, you may want to apply a little fertiliser, just be sure to water it or the granules could scorch the grass.

July

Approaching midsummer, your lawn should be at its strongest, but this is also the time when it sees the most use. Try to identify any lawn damage as it happens and consider using Patch Magic or Smart Patch. Besides this, simply keep up your June routine to ensure a perfect summer lawn.

 August

In August, your lawn growth may slow down ever so slightly. Adjust your mowing frequency accordingly. August is also the time when moss and weeds may start to break through the preventative measures you took back in spring. Buy weed and moss killer such as Miracle Gro Evergreen Autumn lawn Care, Resolva Lawn Weed Killer or Weedol Gun! Lawn Weed Killer from September and apply sparingly.

September

After a summer of wear and tear and hot weather, your lawn may require some slight repairing. The cooler weather and more frequent rain should cause your lawn to green up nicely, however, this is the perfect time to scarify and aerate your lawn with a Hollow Tine Aerator. Lack of drainage and a build-up of debris can encourage moss and weeds, and there is still ample time before the winter freeze for them to take hold – prepare accordingly.

October

By October, your mowing regime will become less strenuous, but now isn’t quite the time to take your foot off the pedal. By now, fallen – and falling – leaves will need near-constant attendance. October is time to get out the rake and clear the leaves which can block sunlight and damage your grass. This increased debris may also necessitate a further scarifying session. This is also time to continue your autumn feed which contains a less nitrogen-rich formula.

November

By November, your lawn care duties will begin to wind down as winter approaches. You should now find that mowing grinds to a near halt. In winter, however, drainage can be a serious problem on a frozen lawn – causing stagnant puddles to form after rainfall – so now is the time to head this off by aerating your lawn once more.

December

Deep into winter once again, you will find that your lawn care duties resemble the relative inaction of January. However, with Christmas comes a conundrum: A winter lawn should be kept free of objects, but with the Christmas season comes popular lawn ornaments. This is nothing that you can’t fix later, but to save yourself the bother, why not decorate the edges of your lawn instead? Once you’ve puzzled that out, it is time – once again – to relax.

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