Lawn renovation is best carried out in October as temperatures are comfortably lower while the soil is warm, moist and workable.
To get your grass looking its best in spring and protect it over winter, Jamie Shipley, gardening expert and managing director at Hedges Direct has exclusively shared a few things gardeners need to be doing now.
Reduce lawn cutting
Usually, your lawn will need cutting once a week during autumn. However, this will depend on the weather as autumn rain can increase growth, so you may need to cut more regularly.
Mowing in the winter usually isn’t needed at all as your grass will be in a dormant state.
However, if the weather is mild and the grass is still growing, you may need to trim it with a mower.
Apply grass seeds and fertiliser
October is a “great time” to sow grass seed as there’s plenty of rain so you can cut down on the watering, the soil is still warm, and there are fewer weeds and foraging birds.
Applying fertiliser in autumn will prepare your grass for harsh weather conditions in winter, as well as “increase recovery time” if damaged.
Jamie said: “Keep your lawn looking thicker, greener and healthier by applying an autumn fertiliser to protect it from disease and avoid a moss and weed invasion.”
Remove dead leaves
Dead leaves can trap moisture on your grass, increasing the chances of fungal diseases like snow mould developing.
Jamie warned that this can “kill patches of your lawn” and cause “lasting damage”.
Scarify lawn
Scarification is the removal of organic matter like moss and thatch from the surface of your lawn.
Not sacrificing can lead to it drying, making it difficult for water and nutrients to pass through the soil to your grassroots which could cause your lawn to “dry out and suffocate”.
You can scarify in autumn, just make sure you do it before temperatures drop too much to avoid damaging your lawn.
The expert added that fertilising the grass after scarifying will also promote “healthy growth and recovery”.
