As April usually signals the proper start to Spring weather then this is usually one of the most active months for your lawn and you.

With temperatures beginning to rise then you will notice an increase in growth both of the good and bad variety. Weeds most certainly begin to show and grow fervently. Among the common weeds at this time of the year are the usual suspects of dandelions and daisies but also Woodrush. Other than digging this out (vitally impossible) this weed will require treatment annually as it is notoriously bad in lawns up and down the country. Usually spot weeding is sufficient at this stage unless of course you’re treating a new job with a large selection and heavy infestation of weeds whereby a complete spray of the area would be most appropriate. You’ll also see some good grass growth as April traditionally is month of sunshine and showers.

April is also a good month to fertilise the lawn, getting some essential nutrients into the root zone to aid steady growth. I hear varying reports on the best fertiliser combination but I like to give a balanced fertiliser this time of the year rather than a huge nitrogen boost to quickly green up the grass. Of course this month is not just good for growing it is also good to carry out other essential maintenance such as scarifying and aeration as well as the related moss control element. As this winter has been so wet I’ve had more requests for these services than ever before. After these procedures have been carried out then it is always beneficial to overseed any heavily affected areas. It also helps to introduce a more youthful grass to the lawn.

In regards to mowing, well it’s much the same as last month really. Aim to mow on a highish setting as the ground can still be quite wet. This is not the month for scalping the lawn as I see regularly. Whilst it is good to have a neat, short lawn the grass is still early in its growth period in April and needs the length of blade to help absorb the sunlight to help growth.  So until the weather and speed of growth picks up there is no harm in keeping it a little longer than normal.

List of Jobs

• Mow on a High Setting
• Scarify your lawn
• Aerate your lawn
• Apply a Moss Control
• Apply a Weed Control
• Enrich your lawn with a quality fertiliser
• Overseed
• Re-turfing work (if needed)
• Check for Fungus’ (Fusarium)