There are certain things in life that just cannot be questioned. Tom Brady’s NFL record. Jonny Wilkinson’s drop goal being the greatest sporting moment of all time. My status as the hardest working person at Joe’s Lawn Care. And just below that, spring being the most important time to pull on your gardening gloves. Make your lawn great again by preparing your lawn for spring.
I know, I know. It sounds like a lot of hard work. But, if you do it right, a little sweat equity can go a seriously long way and maximise your lawn’s chance to really make hay during the growing season.
So, armed with your trusty mower and a few hours of your spare time over a couple of weekends, here are the most important jobs to tick off when preparing your lawn for spring.
Task 1: The Big Clear Up
Kicking things off with the most tedious task of them all, clearing your lawn of any debris is a must when it comes to preparing your grass for some spring growth. We’re talking about leaves, pine cones, twigs, branches and anything else that may be scattered on there. Sure, it’s time consuming and dull, but pop a podcast on as you go and you’ll not only be entertained, but you’ll provide your lawn with the key ingredient it needs to thrive: uninterrupted sun-light. Oh and, if you’re using a rake, you’ll find you get the double-whammy of removing some thatch too.
Task 2: Aerate That Soil
If you do just one thing for your lawn in your pre-spring efforts, make sure you aerate. Why? Well, how much have you got? It reduces the harm of soil compaction, improves the circulation of air and nutrients to the roots and it boosts drainage, which is a much-needed move in order for your grass roots to develop. Of course, you can do this with those fun little spiky attachments for your wellies, but for the best results, you should be looking to penetrate at least three inches deep and no more than three inches apart, which our core aerators are ace at.
Task 3: Focus on the Dead Spots
There are three things you can expect in this life: death, tax and dead patches in your lawn, especially after a super-hot summer or pretty wet winter. Now these dead patches may be brown or bare or a little thinner than the rest of your lawn. Whatever the case, these “dead spots” are the perfect breeding ground for weeds, so make sure remove the dead grass, rake it back to expose and loosen the soil, and then plant some new grass seed so that your lawn can defend itself.
Task 4: Make Your Soil Happy
We’ve cared for millions of square metres of lawn during our time as the best, and there’s one thing that always stands out: Not enough people care about their soil. But here’s the thing: poor soil quality will always lead to poor grass growth. So test your soil, add lime to increase pH, sulphur to decrease pH, and soil enhancer rich in the N, P, or K ingredient you are short on to remedy nutrient issues and give your grass what it needs to thrive.
Task 5: Keep Off The Grass
If your lawn is in need of any kind of recovery, whether it’s from pests, disease, bald spots, stress or anything else, the number one rule to stick to is this: keep off your grass. This is about giving your lawn the best chance to recover, so stay off it and then relay this rule to everyone: pets, children, cars, neighbours, burglars, delivery drivers, everyone.
Task 6: Mulch + Compost Time
Kicking it off with a quick disclaimer: fertilisers are great. Oh yeah, those things work. That said, there’s nothing quite as epic at creating a healthy soil and lawn combo than good old-fashioned mulching and composting. It’s about using any organic waste from winter, popping it into your compost pile and then recycling back into your lawn as a natural fertiliser. You could even use a mulching mower to evenly distribute those finely ground grass clippings back onto your lawn, returning the nutrients to the roots that grew them in the first place. That’s how legends do it.
Task 7: Top Dress That Soil
To quickly break it down for you, top dressing is basically about enriching your existing soil with a mixture that closely resembles the soil you already have in order to grow the healthiest grass possible. Basically, give your lawn an aeration and then top dress it using a mix of sand, soil and loam. You only need a layer of about half-an-inch in order to improve the soil conditions, from which the dreamiest lawn will arise.
Thanks for reading our guide on how to best prepare your lawn for spring. For more lawn care tips and tricks, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.