4 Step guide to maintaining your lawn

Mowing

During the warmer spring and summer months, mowing is an incredibly important job. Helping to keep your lawn in good health, you should mow your lawn as frequently as it requires. In spring, you'll probably find it needs mowing once a week, while the summer months will demand a more regular, twice-weekly mow.

Even though giving your grass a close shave might look good (and keep the grass looking better for longer), it can damage your grass, making it more susceptible to moss, weeds and drought. Therefore, keep your grass height around 40mm (1.5in) in spring and around 13-25mm (1/2-1in) in summer. If your lawn often has a hard time (playing host to regular football matches, for example), then you might want to keep it slightly longer so it can withstand the extra wear and tear.

Feeding

A good feed with lawn fertiliser not only makes the grass greener, but makes it grow thicker and increases its strength. This means it’s better equipped to compete with weeds, moss and weather-related stresses. If you’re planning to feed in spring, it’s best to apply a granule fertiliser such as wilko natural lawn fertiliser, which will feed your lawn slowly as new growth begins. In the summer you can then switch to a liquid feed for a faster input of nutrients and a much-needed boost to your lawn.

Weeding and treating

Weeds and moss in the lawn can be a bit of a headache. Fear not, though, because there are some quick and easy solutions to these, and ones that will leave your grass healthy and better able to deal with moss and weeds.

Weeding your grass - When it comes to weeding your grass, there are some non-chemical methods you can try first, such as digging them out, and scarifying or aerating your lawn. However, if a lot of weeds have established themselves in your lawn, you might want to try a chemical weed killer. Chemical weed killers should be applied when weeds are actively growing. You can use a spray lawn weed killer, which you'll need to spray on individual weeds. Or you can try a lawn feed, weed and mosskiller which is applied to the whole lawn and offers a triple effect.

Getting rid of moss - For poorly drained, damp lawns, moss can be an ongoing problem. However, spring is the perfect time to try and rectify this. Again, you might want to try a non-chemical solution to start with, such as scarification, which will remove loose moss. Simply rake over your lawn using a stainless steel lawn rake. For chemical solutions, opt for a lawn sand, which feeds your lawn and kills moss with iron. Alternatively, you can use a lawn feed, weed and mosskiller which also includes a herbicide which won’t harm your lawn but will kill weeds like dandelions.

To prevent further moss growth, it's a good idea to feed your lawn on a regular basis, while maintaining it frequently. Aerate your turf, avoid mowing it too short and use grass seeds that are designed for shady areas (if your garden's in the shade).

Over-seeding

After the harshness of winter, or after removing weeds and moss, many lawns will have bare areas. These don’t just look unsightly, but are perfect places for weeds and moss to take over. In this case, over-seeding might be required.

Choose a grass seed which will best suit your garden needs. For example, if you have large trees or buildings causing shade then a shady lawn seed will have the best chance of thriving. All lawn seeds will give an over-seed dosage recommendation on the packaging so check this first. Ensure you water the seed regularly until it’s established. For an extra boost, a light layer of multi-purpose compost will help retain moisture around the seeds until they’ve rooted.