A lush, green lawn is the centrepiece of any British garden, and as summer approaches, it’s essential to give it the care it needs to stay healthy, vibrant, and resilient.
From feeding and watering to aeration and mowing, taking the right steps now will ensure your lawn is ready for picnics, barbecues, and lazy afternoons in the sun.
Here’s your comprehensive guide to summer lawn care.
When is the best time to start lawn care?
April is the best time to start focusing on your lawn. Any time before this during winter is too wet, the ground is too compacted and any products being applied are at risk of being washed away.
How to look care for your lawn: step by step
To achieve lush, green and healthy lawn there are a few important steps you need to follow.
Step 1: Assess your lawn
The first step in preparing for summer is to assess your lawn’s condition. Winter can leave lawns looking tired, patchy and compacted so identify problem areas.
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Check for bare patches – These can be filled in with grass seed or a lawn repair mix.
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Look for moss and weeds – If moss is present, it’s often a sign of poor drainage or weak grass growth - scarifying your lawn will help with this.
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Identify compacted soil – If water puddles on the surface or the ground feels hard, aeration may be necessary.
Step 2: Mow Your Lawn
Now it's time to do your first cut of the year which is generally recommended around mid-to-late March. It's best to wait for a few days of dry weather.
The first few mows of the season should leave grass slightly longer (around 5cm) to encourage deep root growth.
Step 3: Scarify to Remove Thatch & Debris
Scarifying helps to remove built-up thatch, dead grass, and moss, allowing your lawn to breathe and absorb nutrients effectively. This is done using a scarifying rake or a powered scarifier to gently remove the debris.
We recommend starting scarification in spring or early autumn when grass is actively growing and can recover quickly.
Step 4: Aerate for Better Drainage & Root Health
Over time, soil becomes compacted, restricting air, water, and nutrients from reaching the roots. Aeration improves drainage and boosts root health and this is best done in early spring before applying feed to maximise nutrient absorption.
Use a garden fork to spike holes across the lawn, or a hollow-tine aerator for heavily compacted areas. Most people recommend that you don’t leave it longer than three years before aerating.
Step 5: Sow Grass Seed & Feed Your Lawn!
Now the part you've been waiting for...sowing gras seed! If you can see the soil beneath your lawn without having to get on your knees to look – then overseeding is a great idea. There are lots of seed options including:
- Miracle-Gro Multipurpose Grass Seed: Ideal for overseeding and fast germination.
- Miracle-Gro Shady & Dry Grass Seed: Suited to shady gardens.
- Miracle-Gro Professional Super Seed Busy Garden: Great for lawns with high traffic such as children and pets.
Start sowing the seed evenly, either by hand or with a spreader, and lightly rake it in, ensuring good soil contact. Water your grass daily for 7 to 10 days until the seeds are established and continue watering especially if the weather is dry.
Top tip: To help your lawn even further, you lawn feed or a slow-release fertiliser such as pelleted chicken manure.
Step 6: Cutting the grass
Now it's time to be patient! You're probably keen to starting mowing the grass once you see growth but hang tight until it's grown to 5cm to 8cm high. Check that the lawnmower's blade is really sharp, otherwise the shoots will tear and lift out of the ground.
Using the highest setting on your lawnmower to its highest setting, so that you only take off the tips for the first few months and collect, and dispose of, the clippings.
The lawn will look patchy at first, but after the first cut, the grass will be encouraged to grow and fill the gaps.
As the lawn thickens up, the cutting height can gradually be lowered. Even if weeds appear, don't apply weed killer for at least the first six months after sowing. Weeds can be removed by hand whilst your new lawn establishes.
Follow the above and you'll be well on your way to creating an impressive lawn! Check our our lawn care range for everything you need or pop in-store for lawn advice!