When should I start cutting my lawn?

Once upon a time, in the UK, we would commence cutting the lawn around Easter and finish in September, depending upon the weather.

Today, because of climate change, most would commence cutting towards the end of February and carry on until at least the end of November. In some areas, particularly where a sandy substructure is found, lawn cutting continues throughout the whole year!

The sudden increase in temperature this February has started the new season growth considerably earlier than usual and although we have experienced frost early morning that does not appear to have slowed the grass growth.

If your lawn continues to be ‘soft’ or ‘boggy’ following this winter’s rainfall, it is recommended to leave cutting for another few days, particularly if your mower has a roller. However, if your lawn has good drainage and is firm under foot then cutting now will be of benefit to your grasses.

Many lawns this year have, over the winter period, seen an increase in moss growth mainly due to the moist conditions over the winter period, following the harsh summer of extreme heat, which weakened the grass roots.

To help recover your lawn apply a feed to your grass but not a weed/moss killer. Indeed, do not consider applying a moss killer until towards the end of the season at the very earliest. You need to improve the strength of your grass roots dramatically this season, which will assist to naturally reduce the amount of moss in your lawn.

The other important factor, to improve your lawn, will be to cut it on a regular basis, either weekly or fortnightly throughout the whole season. You should never cut more than one third of the blade of grass each cut, as you will pull the roots of your grasses whenever you attempt to take more off, again weakening your rooting structure.

Sometimes, it is advisable to engage a company to carry out your lawn cutting for you as their expertise will help improve the quality of your lawn considerably faster than attempting to do it yourself and leave you more time to spend on other aspects of your garden!

If you need further recommendations regarding your lawn why not give nicenstripy a call on 0800 014 2420 or www.nicenstripy.com. Their advice is free and their cost may be considerably lower than you think, no mater what size of lawn or garden you have.