How to improve your lawn this Spring

[Jason]

Many lawns across the country are suffering after a long winter. Fortunately, a little care at this time of year can see the grass flourishing again in no time, whether its weeding, feeding and/or aerating.  

This week I'd love to tap into the knowledge of the Workshop community so we can all get our lawns looking great ahead of the warmer weather.

What are your top tips for improving your lawn this Spring?

And if your lawn is struggling, feel free to ask your questions below and I'm sure Workshop community members will be happy to help.

Jason

[Adam_W]

Very timely subject @Jason, thanks for opening it up.
Also happens to be one of my favourite areas to chat about

The biggest tip is to feed your lawn.
I read some research that said less than 1-in-4 home-owners ever feed their lawns. Crazy.
It's the single best thing you can do & most lawns will take less than 10-minutes to feed.
Benefits? A well-fed lawn...
- is better able to survive hot, dry summer conditions.

- has less weeds as the lawn is able to out-compete the weeds

- is better at self-repairing all that wear & tear from kids & dogs & backyard cricket.

When you feed a hose-on is easy but granular is better for a longer feed.

If you use granular don't try to hand broadcast it, you'll never spread it evenly, invest in a simple fertiliser spreader. Worth their weight in gold.
Look for more modern fertilisers such as Scotts Lawn Builder as they are slow release, feeding for months, and you can apply them when it's dry & they'll start feeding once it rains, no messing around having to water straight after applying.
You can supplement this with a hose-on seaweed like Seasol too but just use the seaweed-only version, don't double-up on feeding.

And on that topic... just stick to the recommended application rates when feeding. Doubling it will not make your lawn twice as green. With some fertilisers you'll end up burning your lawn and with any you're just wasting your money.

Quality, modern fertilisers also look after your soil - they feed the soil not just the foliage.
When your soil is healthy & happy soil micro-organisms can more easily convert nutrients from fertiliser for the grass to take up so your lawn stays greener for longer. It also means that the run-off of nutrients into the environment is reduced.
Healthy soil leads to stronger root development too so you hardier, healthier grass.
Pheeewww... there you go

[MartyH]

Thanks for the tips @Adam_W. Great advice. 

I think I've said it here before that I often see people mowing their grass too low, especially in the warmer weather. Keeping plenty of lawn will help keep water in the soil and reduces stress on the grass leaves. And don't water too often, but when you do water deep. 

I noticed yesterday that I've got to get the weeding tool out and remove some of the weeds that have popped up in the lawn recently. 

[Kermit]

Noticed my lawn needs some TLC. Many weeds suddenly have popped up. I don't think I've ever fed it before so will follow @Adam_W's excellent advice. 

Adam, what are the benefits to aerating and when do you need to do it?

[Kermit]

Sorry, just noticed my aerating question was a little vague. I know that its a good idea to aerate if the ground is hard and compacted from overuse. I'm just keen to know whether aerating can benefit all lawns - is it good general practice, and if so, what time of year? Thanks!

[greygardener]

Depends on your soil @Kermit. If you have clay soil that drains poorly then you need to do something about it. Same goes for if its compacted from foot traffic. You'll know if you have a problem as the grass will be struggling to grow. 

[Kermit]

After feeding the lawn a couple of months ago it has looked better but I've noticed in recent weeks the weeds are going berzerk and I got a bindi prickle for the first time I can remember. Looks like the weeds and bindi liked the food, perhaps even more so than the grass. 

[greygardener]

The idea behind feeding is it should strengthen the lawn so it can do better than the weeds. Some lawn weedkiller should help control the bindii. 

[Jason]

It's so exciting that Spring is nearly here! 

Let us know if you need tips for reviving your lawn this Spring. I'm sure community members like @Adam_W would be happy to assist. 

Jason

[Adam_W]

Hey @Kermit

Oh dear… yes, a problem with feeding a lawn if it was a bit patchy is that the weeds can get a good bit of growth on too in the empty spaces.

I’d try a Weed & Feed formulation, won’t be too much for the lawn at this stage. I’ve had good results with this one as it doesn’t stress the lawn too much as some of the older formulations can. That should take care of any bindii too.

Problem is that you need to treat bindii in autumn as it’s an annual that grows in the cooler months & then sets seed in the warm months. Those prickles are in-fact the seed so unfortunately once you’ve felt a prickle that can mean it’s too late. All the revenge attacks in the world won’t get rid of them this season...

As it’s still very early for them you may actually be able to locate the plants and remove them by hand.