Lawn Care Seasonal Checklist

Join us as we take a closer look into the tasks required to keep your grass seed growing beautifully all year round. Our seasonal lawn care advice includes a checklist that offers tips on a month-by-month basis so you can easily keep on top of your lawn's condition – at the same time, spreading the tasks across the 12 months of the year to ensure looking after your grass is manageable and rewarding.

• Frost Warning - Reduce traffic on your lawn to avoid localised puddling, compaction and frost scorching.
• Snow Warning - If snow is to fall, shovel it off your lawn so it doesn’t cause any lasting damage.
• Get your lawn mower serviced - blunt blades will slow you down in spring and can damage your grass.
• If your mower can’t be repaired – January sales are an excellent time to pick up a bargain!
• Your lawn is dormant, so do not apply fertiliser now or attempt to mow the lawn.
• If you have applied an autumn/winter fertiliser, this will prevent any disease from occurring/spreading and keep your lawn healthy throughout the colder months.

• Frost and Snow Warning - Frost and snow are still possible in February, so keep traffic on your lawn to a minimum and shovel snow off your lawn’s surface to prevent lasting damage.
• Moss may appear if it is a wet winter, but don’t tackle it until temperatures warm up - or you may have to repeat the process.
• The same applies in February; since it's still cold outside, do not apply fertiliser or try to mow the lawn.
• An autumn/winter fertiliser applied the previous autumn will still work to prevent lawn disease from occurring/spreading and will keep your lawn healthy.

March Lawn Care Tip:

• March is the perfect time to begin your prep work for sowing grass seed!
• When temperatures begin to hit 8-10 degrees and above consistently, with no snow or frost forecast, you can confidently sow grass seed and expect successful results. Perennial ryegrass germinates at temperatures of 8-10 degrees, whilst fescues require slightly warmer temperatures of 10 degrees plus.
• The ideal seedbed is free from weeds, moss or other debris and is level and free draining. To alleviate these issues, apply weedkiller, scarify, aerate and fertilise your lawn.
• If you are sowing a new lawn, ensure no weeds and moss have cultivated in the bare soil - if there is a minimal amount, target these with a handheld weed/mosskiller.
• To kickstart germination for an existing lawn, apply our fast-acting Make it Grow liquid fertiliser or our QUICK RELEASE: Spring / Summer granular fertiliser. For a new lawn, use our QUICK RELEASE: Pre-Seed fertiliser before sowing new grass seed. Instructions for applying fertiliser can be found on the individual product pages.

• ‘Little April showers’ are likely to occur, so bear this in mind when sowing new grass seeds – heavy showers can saturate seedlings (causing them to die) or wash them away if there is a slope in your garden.
• If you missed the March window, you can continue with lawn care and sow in April if conditions remain favourable.
• If you haven’t already, make sure to fertilise your lawn with either a SLOW RELEASE: Spring / Summer fertiliser (16 weeks coverage) or a QUICK RELEASE: Spring / Summer fertiliser (6 weeks coverage). If you want to give your lawn a fast-acting, nutrient-dense feed, then our spring/summer liquid fertilisers (Make it Grow and Make it Green) will quickly enhance your lawn and boost its health, which will be noticeable in just a few days! These lawn food options will help a new lawn or existing lawn to flourish and maintain its greenness.
• Red Thread Warning - Red Thread occurs in warm and wet conditions – Prevent it by offering your grass specialist lawn care by feeding it with a nitrogen-rich fertiliser.

• Sow/overseed if conditions are favourable.
• Fertilise using SLOW RELEASE: Spring / Summer fertiliser (16 weeks coverage) or QUICK RELEASE: Spring / Summer fertiliser (6 weeks coverage), always ensuring to spread at the recommended rate and watering in.
• Once your newly sown grass begins to hit a height of 5-7cm around the 6-week mark since sowing and has a full even coverage across the lawn – you can give it its first mow. Following this, you should mow your grass at the recommended height. Fescues will tolerate closer mowing, whereas ryegrass won’t - we have the recommended mowing rate for each of our mixes detailed on their individual product pages.
• Keep an eye out for Red Thread appearing; it's unlikely to appear if you have applied a nitrogen-rich fertiliser in April.

Keep an eye out for warm temperatures and heavy showers for proper lawn care.

• Sow or overseeding is fine in June if conditions are ideal. If heavy downpours occur post-sowing, do not water your new seed, as this will drown it. If a drought occurs, up your daily watering to twice a day and consider investing in a sprinkler.
• Fertilise using SLOW RELEASE: Spring / Summer fertiliser (16 weeks coverage) (recommended) or QUICK RELEASE: Spring / Summer fertiliser (6 weeks coverage), always ensuring to spread at the recommended rate and watering in.
• Mow your lawn once a week depending on growth – if your grass grows back quicker, up your mowing to twice a week. In periods of drought, drop this back down to once a week and raise the height of your mower blades. In periods of no growth (sustained drought) – do not mow your lawn.
• Red Thread is often seen this time of year by gardeners who have not prepared for it. As mentioned before, a nitrogen-rich fertiliser will help combat it.

• If no heatwave occurs and temperatures are ideal, then sowing and overseeding is fine.
• You don't need to water your lawn after sowing if heavy rain storms occur.
• But, if there is a drought in your area, increase your daily watering to twice a day and maybe consider investing in a sprinkler.
• Fertilise QUICK RELEASE: Spring / Summer fertiliser (6 weeks coverage), always ensuring to spread at the recommended rate and watering in.
• Mow your lawn once a week, depending on how much it's growing:
  • If you find your grass is growing back quicker, then you can increase your mowing to twice a week.
  • In periods of drought, drop this back down to once a week and raise the height of your mower blades – taller grass is better at surviving drought.
  • During times of no growth, like sustained drought, then do not mow your lawn.
• Red Thread Warning in July! (nitrogen-rich fertiliser will help get rid of it)

August offers good temperatures and frequent rain showers, perfect lawn care conditions.

• August is usually a great time for sowing and overseeding (weather conditions considered).
• The same as with the previous few months, do not water your new seed if heavy downpours occur, as this will drown the seedlings.
• However, if drought occurs, increase your daily watering to twice a day or consider acquiring a lawn sprinkler to help with your watering schedule.
• Fertilise using QUICK RELEASE: Spring / Summer fertiliser (6 weeks coverage) or SLOW RELEASE: Autumn / Winter fertiliser - always ensuring to spread at the recommended rate and watering in.
• Mow your lawn once a week, depending on growth, is a vital tip for successful lawn care – if you find your grass grows back quicker, up your mowing to twice a week. In periods of drought, drop this back down to once a week and raise the height of your mower blades. In periods of no growth (sustained drought) – do not mow your lawn.
• August Red Thread warning - prevent it by feeding your lawn a nitrogen-rich fertiliser.

• Sow/overseed if conditions are favourable and consider a two-week weather forecast – be aware of adverse weather conditions, including heavy rain/flooding.
• Begin to protect your lawn from autumn/winter diseases that occur in damp and cold conditions by fertilising with a SLOW RELEASE: Autumn / Winter fertiliser (recommended) or a QUICK RELEASE: Autumn / Winter fertiliser - always ensuring to spread at the recommended rate and watering in.
• Continue to mow your lawn, but reduce mowing to once every two weeks – ensure your blades are still sharp so as not to damage your grass.
• As leaves begin to fall, make sure to remove them from your lawn, as they can create and cause disease. If possible, we recommend saving the leaves to create a habitat/hibernaculum for local wildlife.
• Also, consider moving garden furniture/trampolines off the lawn if they won’t be in use.

• Sow/overseed if conditions are favourable and consider a two-week weather forecast – be aware of adverse weather conditions, including heavy rain/flooding and sudden temperature drops.
• There is still time to apply a SLOW RELEASE: Autumn / Winter fertiliser (recommended) or a QUICK RELEASE: Autumn / Winter fertiliser to protect against frost and winter borne diseases - always ensuring to spread at the recommended rate and watering in.
• Continue to remove leaves and other debris from the lawn to avoid potential disease/damage.
• Mow if you deem it necessary (e.g. visible and continuing growth) and keep your mower height at a high setting.
• Whilst removing leaves and debris, move garden furniture/trampolines off the lawn if you haven't already.

Lawn Care Essential Tip:

• Do not sow grass seed once frosts are on your local forecast
• The sowing season has now finished as potential frosts can set in and temperatures dip below 8 degrees, preventing germination.
• As temperatures begin to drop below what is required for germination, your grass will also begin growing very slowly (become dormant) and it is therefore time to put away the mower.
• There is still time to apply a SLOW RELEASE: Autumn / Winter fertiliser (recommended) or a QUICK RELEASE: Autumn / Winter fertiliser to protect against frost and winter borne diseases - always ensuring to spread at the recommended rate and watering in.
• If frost should form on your lawn, avoid walking on it. This will help prevent compaction, frost scorch, disease and lasting footprints.

• For now, your lawn is mostly dormant and won’t respond impressively to fertiliser – so as suggested, it is better to do this in earlier autumn/winter.
• To continue to help your lawn throughout the cold months ahead, don’t walk on frosty or snowy grass.

Seasonal Lawn Care Checklist

There you have it, our tips and advice to help you look after and maintain your grass throughout the year and maintain a better, more beautiful and lush garden lawn for the whole family to enjoy. 

Our Help & Advice section is a beneficial lawn care resource for looking after your grass.

We also have an area devoted to Frequently Asked Questions, offering insights to help you care for your lawn.