There was a late fall of leaves and these lay in place into the winter on some lawns, as poor weather got in the way of their removal. This winter has seen an incessant series of rain fronts that caused flooding and waterlogging for weeks. Some lawns even had pools of water lying for a time and many were squelchy, the soil filled to capacity, especially in the west and north.

If you want a lawn of good quality this summer, attention is needed for drainage, fallen leaves, mowing, resowing, feeding, moss control and weed control.

Drainage

If pools of water lie on a lawn for too long, the grass can die out or, at least, become patchy. Even a week of lying water can cause roots to die and the top later to rot.

If an area of ground becomes a pond each winter at some stage, it might be necessary to address the drainage by laying some plastic land-drainage pipes. The size of the wet area and the extent of the drainage problem will determine the drainage system required. It might just be a small area and a soak-pit might suffice.

Leaves

If leaves were not lifted in autumn and early winter because the weather was too wet, they are now half-rotted and the grass is growing up through them. However, the grass may have been covered in some places of heavy leaf-fall and it is now likely to be largely shaded out.

Grass dies quite quickly when covered by heavy, wet leaves. Lawn weeds, such as dandelions, are far more likely to survive and push their way out.

If at all possible, it is still best to try to clear some of these leaves – whatever can be lifted with a mower, leaf-blower or rake. Even if you only loosen the layer to some degree, it allows air into the soil surface and aids recovery.

Mowing

The secret to a good lawn is regular mowing. Mowing actually forms the lawn, forcing grass to stay very low in a tight sward. Mowing is the mechanical equivalent of grazing animals; sheep were used before lawn mowers were invented.

Mowing should not begin, as such, or end, but should be carried out year-round, more in the main growing season, less in winter.

In spring, mowing can take place every two weeks, moving quickly to once a week and back to every two weeks in a summer dry spell and in autumn, and once a month from November to February.

This regime of mowing can be varied according to the weather and the rate of grass growth. In dry-weather summers, mowing can be reduced to an occasional tidy-up, with the blades raised a notch. For best results, mowing needs to be regular.

Resowing

If areas of a lawn have been damaged by water lying or by wear and tear by dogs or human foot traffic, it is a good idea to over-sow the lawn with some lawn seed.

If the lawn grass is patchy, it can be boosted by some new seedlings. Lawn seed is relatively cheap and easy to scatter out over areas where grass growth is weak or absent. Apply approximately 25g of seed per square metre. Ideally, choose a number two grass seed, a relatively robust variety, because most lawns already have strong-growing grass.

It is not necessary to cultivate or to rake much either, but a little stirring of the soil surface of the patchy area would help.

A complete reseed is possible with glyphosate applied to the whole area and lawn seed scattered evenly. In this case, there is no need to rake or cultivate, especially over a large area.

The young grass seedlings germinate amid the withering grass stems, much as they do in natural conditions. Over-sowing can be done in spring or early autumn.

Feeding

Along with mowing, feeding is necessary for a green lawn. Grass needs relatively good soil in good light to really thrive.

Regular mowing and removal of the cut grass slowly but surely reduces soil fertility which favours moss and weeds. The loss of plant nutrients from the soil disadvantages the grasses, weakening growth and turning the lawn pale green or even yellow.

If nutrients are not provided to an adequate extent, the quality of a lawn declines. Grass likes high nitrogen levels for best growth and specialised lawn feeds contain high nitrogen levels. So do farm grass fertilisers, such as CAN, but these are designed for fast growth of grass, but, although a lot cheaper, the use of too much of these can lead to surges of growth and a lot of grass mowing to remove. The farm formulations should not be used at more than about 15g or 20g per square metre at a time.

There are slow-release feeds, which are also used on golf fairways and sports pitches, and are more expensive.

A spring feed in late March or early April can be used to get grass growing well, followed by another application in June or July and again in late summer if needed.

More balanced fertilisers with less nitrogen and more phosphorus and potash can be used as an autumn lawn feed. Mulch mowing returns the cut grass to the lawn and less feeding is needed.

Moss control

Moss often out-competes grass, especially in areas of lawn that are shaded, damp or acidic. The soil of a lawn area slowly becomes acidic over the years, favouring moss. If a lawn area tests acidic with a pH test kit from a garden centre, apply lime to rebalance the pH towards pH7. The lime does not kill the moss, but it encourages better growth of grass.

The balance between moss and grass is a constant battle. Grass needs warmer weather, balanced pH, more sunlight, more fertile soil and not too much dampness.

Moss likes the opposite of these. So keeping the balance in favour of grass is the best way to control moss. Moss can be knocked back by lawn moss killer, such as sulphate of iron, between October and March, but it soon recovers if the conditions favour it.

However, it is often worthwhile to knock it back as a temporary measure before tackling other issues, such as shade, pH and feeding. However, because the damp climate favours moss, some level of moss control is likely to be necessary every few years.

Weed control

Weeds of lawns are mostly broadleaved plants, such as dandelion, daisy, buttercup and clover. Many other kinds of broad-leaved plants can appear in lawns, such as self-heal, bird’s foot trefoil, plantain and speedwell.

Special lawn weedkillers can be applied when there is growth, ideally in May, although they can be applied in good growing weather between April and August, but not in wet, cold weather or dry weather. Lawn weedkillers work by disrupting growth, so good growth must be present for effective control.

In general, a high-quality well-fed lawn will compete well with weeds once they have been cleared, but lawn weedkiller might need to be used after a few years.

Combination products, such as weed, feed and moss control, are fine for small areas, even though weed control and moss control are done at different times of the year and the effects of one or other can be reduced. If you like wild flowers in a lawn, do not use weedkillers. CL