How To Prepare Your Lawn For Spring

As winter starts to loosen its grip and daylight creeps back in, you might wander into your garden and find that your lawn is starting to look a little sorry for itself. It’s not unusual, as winter can leave lawns both soggy and lifeless. The good news is that your grass is tougher than it looks, and with a bit of TLC, you can help it bounce back to its original form, for when spring arrives.

Clear winter debris and carry out an inspection

A metal watering can, green gardening gloves, and secateurs are arranged on a wooden board on a grassy surface, with ample open space on the left side.

Start off by raking away any of the debris that winter has left behind. Clear any fallen leaves and twigs to let the sunlight and air reach the grass again. This can also help the soil to dry out and make it less likely for any diseases to take hold. Early lawn care sets the tone for the season ahead, giving you the chance to be able to spot problems like soggy patches or pest damage that you can tackle before they get worse.

Improve soil health with aeration and scarifying

At the start of the year, several regions saw 37 or more successive days of significant rainfall. Heavy and persistent winter rain, along with foot traffic, has a way of compacting the soil. Use a garden fork or an aerator to punch small holes across your lawn, which will help loosen the soil and improve drainage, so that water and air can reach the roots instead of pooling on the surface.

Aeration often goes hand in hand with scarifying. Scarifying simply means raking out the layer of dead grass and moss (thatch) that builds up. A vigorous rake or a powered scarifier will also pull up this layer of thatch. It might look a little torn up right after, but once it has been removed, it lets new shoots have the chance to breathe and grow into a thicker, healthier lawn.

Repair bare patches with overseeding

A top view of green grass on the left and bare soil on the right, with three gardening tools—a hand rake, trowel, and spade—lying on the soil, their handles facing outwards.

Loosen the soil on any bare patches and then sprinkle grass seed over them. This practice, called overseeding, means sowing grass seed onto your existing lawn to fill in any bare spots. After you have spread the seed, a light raking or a thin layer of compost on top can help the seeds settle into the soil.

For the seeds to germinate, the soil needs to stay consistently moist but not waterlogged until sprouts start to appear. Before long, fresh grass will fill in the gaps, giving you an even lawn with less chance of any weeds popping up in those once-empty spots.

Start a spring feeding and mowing routine

Gardening tools including two trowels, a hand rake, secateurs, and yellow gloves are arranged on a wooden plank next to a patch of green grass, with ample space on the left side.

Feed your lawn with a spring fertiliser to jump-start its growth. A fertiliser rich in nitrogen will give the grass a boost to green up and grow thicker after its winter lull. You’ll see the difference in a couple of weeks as the lawn becomes lusher and brighter. Just be careful to follow the product instructions and not overdo it. Remember, a little fertiliser goes a long way.

When the grass begins growing again, you can resume regular mowing. For the first cut of the season, it’s best to raise the mower blades so you don’t remove too much at once and shock the grass. Mow a little and often to encourage the lawn to grow thick. Keeping your mower blades sharp ensures each pass cuts cleanly and prevents the grass tips from turning brown.

Pin It!