We often get asked how we keep our turf fields looking so good. The answer?

We have a specific regime of maintenance tasks behind the scenes to help nurture our young fields into maturity. We also often get asked how our customers can keep their own grass looking good. Whether it is freshly laid turf or a well-established lawn, it is best to adopt a regular maintenance routine if you would like to keep your lawn looking good. Here are five tasks you can do in April to help your lawn look its best throughout the summer season.

1.Moss Control

If you have come out of winter with no moss on your lawn, then you are incredibly lucky! Moss loves damp, wet conditions and even the most pristine summer lawns show some sign of moss in the springtime. Moss can be removed by lightly raking it, and this will also remove the dense brown leaves of ‘thatch’. Raking provides a good opportunity to remove any other winter debris and get your lawn ready for its first cut.

2.Apply a Weed Control Product

There are a vast range of weedkillers available that will help kill off the remaining moss and attack some other common weeds that can appear on your lawn. Don’t worry; the weed control market is regulated so only products that are safe are available to purchase. When these weed killers are applied according to pack instructions there is minimum risk to plants, pets, or humans.

3.Aerate Your Lawn and Over Seed

The optimum season for aerating your lawn is autumn, although don’t dismiss this task in spring if your ground is compact and your grass is sparse. Lightly aerating helps to loosen the soil and gives the roots of your existing lawn room to grow and expand. Never aerated before? Have a look at our help guide. After you have aerated is the perfect time for adding a little grass seed onto your lawn. Your end goal is to have healthy, vigorous grass that doesn’t allow any room for those pesky weeds to grow.

4.Fertilise Your Lawn

April is the best time to apply a spring lawn feed. You can go straight ahead and apply a fertiliser without doing the steps above (it really depends on how enthusiastic you are about lawn care!), however if you are going to apply a weed control product and aerate your lawn, we recommend completing these tasks BEFORE applying fertiliser. There are a lot of fertilisers to choose from however a generic spring feed will provide all the nutrients your lawn needs to help it recover from the demands placed on it during winter. We stock a fertiliser in store that is a 16.16.16 – it is a strong fertiliser that provides equal parts Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium (NPK). This is the fertiliser we use on our own fields. Rather than just providing a ‘quick fix’ of greening the grass, it penetrates deep into the root system and promotes healthy root growth too.

5.Mow Your Lawn

It’s amazing how good your lawn will look with a little tidy up! Our advice is the same with established lawns as with first cuts on new turf; start off on your highest setting. You can reduce this as the season progresses but cutting it too short too quickly can put the stress on the grass and inhibit healthy growth. As your tools will also be coming out of hibernation it is a good idea to check your mowers before use to make sure the blades are sharp, and the mower is clean. For best results throughout the year, it is good practice to clean your lawn mower after each use.