Every spring is different and 2019 has been no exception! After the heatwave of 2018 which caused many problems with various plants including lawns, we had a fairly benign winter where there was not really much in the way of cold weather, but unfortunately not much in the way of rain either.

March and April were very dry with an abnormal length of time in high pressure which meant that the afternoons were pleasant but the nights and mornings very cold. This meant that germination was delayed or very slow and the vegetable seeds in my greenhouse took ages to come through.

Normally by May 1, the nights begin to warm and we lose the diurnal temperature difference, but this year it was somewhat late being around May 12.

So, what does this mean?

Lawns have been late getting going but now that we have had a little rain and the soil temperatures will begin to rise, the plants will be looking for a significant level of nutrition. Fertiliser if not already applied can now be put on.

Weed growth has been higher than normal due to the lack of competition from the grass plants. Many have gained a foothold by infiltrating bare patches left from the hot weather last year. Where these patches existed last autumn, it has been easy for seeds that were blown in to become established over the mild winter and they now have been able to grow freely.

Now that the weather has warmed up a little, we can deal with these weeds using selective herbicides.

It is getting a little too late to try to establish grass seed unless you intend to spend a significant amount of time watering and even then, as we move into hotter weather, the seed may not germinate.

The lawn cut height needs to not get too short as we move into the hotter weather. Short grass together with excessive thatch levels was one of the major reasons for plant death last year. The leaves of the plants help protect the plants from the heat and UV light so it is very important to consider what we are doing if the forecast is to get hot!

If you are going to consider watering your lawn, it is important to be consistent, watering once or twice and then leaving the soil to dry out is not ideal and this will cause the plants significant stress.

Now that the soil is dry, it is also a good time to aerate the soil. This will help remove any compaction by lifting and cracking the soil which allows air and moisture to flow through the soil and also helps the plants establish a much better root formation.

If you would like some advice on how best to treat your lawn this Spring or if you would like to discuss a treatment plan, please contact us on 01920 461958 or email info@perfectgroundsolutions.co.uk.