How do I look after my newly seeded lawn?
How do I look after my newly seeded lawn?
How do I look after my newly Seeded lawn?
To ensure that your new lawn starts its life in the best possible way, here are a few points to help it on its way. In theory, lawns are best seeded in autumn or spring, but this is seldom possible due us building gardens year-round. Seeding on red hot days will be avoided as the seed will not germinate.
Once the lawn is established follow the annual lawn care notes at the bottom of this page.
Keep off the grass!
Wait for the seedling grasses to get to 5-7.5cm high, then lightly refirm the soil ideally with a garden roller or the rear roller of a cylinder mower/rotary mower. If you haven’t got either of these carefully tread down raised areas.
Two or three days later, you can cut the grass down by about one-third of its length. Ideally use a cylinder-bladed mower. Before mowing, remove the front roller on cylinder mowers to prevent flattening the grass. Ensure the blades are very sharp.
Hang fire with the mower
You don’t generally need to mow any more (for autumn-sown turf) until the following spring. For spring-sown turf progressively reduce the height of the cut to that suitable for mature lawns, cutting every three to seven days as required.
Use the lawn as little as possible
Use the lawn as little as possible during the first season. If the lawn was autumn-sown, try to avoid using it earlier than June and if spring-sown, use it as little as possible up to late autumn.
During September top-dress with sieved compost to fill in any irregularities.
There is no need to feed spring-sown grass in the first autumn.
Feed autumn-sown lawns the spring following sowing.
Monthly Lawn Care
January
Brush away fallen leaves. Try to keep off the grass when frosty or particularly wet as this can harm your lawn. Time to get your mower serviced.
February
Spring cleaning. Rake up dead undergrowth with a spring-tined rake and scatter any worm casts with a besom when they are dry. Do not mow before March.
March
After the frost and the weather is favourable rake to remove leaves and surface detritus. Don’t rake too vigorously or you may damage the grass. If there have been heavy frosts over winter, settle the turf by lightly rolling when the surface is dry (You could use a cylinder mower with the blade held high. As soon as the ground and weather are suitable, 'top' the grass with the mower blades set high. Two cuts are sufficient this month. If the ground is hard and bare patches are present, spike the surface to about 4 inches with a garden fork. Rock the garden fork to and fro and repeat every 15-25cm. Brush in a mixture of sand and Bio Humus. Look for early signs of disease and apply a moss killer if necessary.
April
Mow as often as necessary to keep the grass neat and trim. The grass should not be cut closer than1.8cm from the ground. Irregular close mowing will ruin your lawn. Rake the lawn to keep the grass healthy, to remove dead moss and to help to control clover. Feed with a proprietary spring lawn fertiliser and apply as per the manufacturer’s instructions towards the end of the month.
May
Continue mowing, increasing frequency as necessary and lower the height of the cut closer to the level you would have in summer. The lawn should now be fed with lawn fertilizer and treated with a lawn weed killer or use an all in one weed and feed product. The soil is usually moist now but if there is a prolonged dry spell, water before the lawn shows signs of distress.
June
If the weather is very dry, mow less often and leave off the grass box. If you decide to water then really soak it. For isolated deep-rooted weeds, spot treat with weed killer.
July
Mow as necessary. If persistent weeds are present, treat the area with weed & feed or lawn sand. Water over any prolonged dry periods. Think about holidays and making arrangements for getting the lawn cut whilst you maybe away.
August
Mow as necessary and treat as per July notes. August is the last month of the year to be using nitrogen-rich fertilizer or weed killers.
September
Carry on mowing as often as necessary with the interval between increasing and the and progressively raising the cut height. Scarify then spike any compacted areas and top dress. Apply lawn sand for clover control. If hollows or bumps are found, gently cut and roll back the turf, add or remove soil as necessary and then replace grass. Reseed any bare patches on the lawn with general purpose top soil and seed.
October
Getting ready for winter. Continue mowing as long as the weather remains favourable. Aerate the soil by spiking (see March notes). Brush or rake in a dressing of bone meal & sand. Lightly mow newly sown or newly laid grass, if weather is fine.
November
Mow once with the blades set high if the weather is not frosty or wet. Brush away any worm casts and brush up leaves and put them on the compost heap.
December
Mow once if weather remains favourable (neither frosty nor very wet). Brush up fallen leaves. Keep off the grass if it is wet or frozen.