Caring for Your Lawn Year-Round

This planner outlines the different lawn care tasks that should be performed throughout the year. Follow these simple seasonal guidelines to make sure that your lawn looks healthy and green all year round.

Spring

Spring is the season when a lawn really needs some tender loving care as temperatures rise and the grass starts to grow, increasing its reliance on water and fertilizer.

1. Laying turf and sowing seed: Early spring is a good time for turf laying because the risk of frost is lower, making the soil more workable. Spring is also the ideal time for sowing seed as the soil warms up and there is usually enough rain to support germination.

2. Feeding: A spring feed is essential to keep the lawn looking green. There are many pre-packaged feeds available - the main ingredient is nitrogen, which encourages strong growth.

3. Watering: Toward the end of spring it may be necessary to water occasionally if the last few months have been dry.

4. Mowing: Cut the grass regularly, ensuring that the mower is raised to its highest setting for the first few cuts.

5. Scarifying: Lightly scarify — or remove the layer of dead grass that has accumulated throughout the winter — the lawn, using a spring-tined rake or a mechanical scarifier to remove dead grass (thatch).

6. Aerating: Use a fork or aerator to spike the lawn: this allows air to circulate at the grass roots and breaks up compacted soil.

7. Laying turf: Spring is the ideal time to lay turf as the weather warms up and showers reduce the need for watering.