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LAWN CARE CALENDAR
January
There is very little work to do this month apart from brushing away leaves. Keep off the
grass if frozen or waterlogged.
February
Rake the grass thoroughly. Spike the lawn to aerate and stimulate soil organisms and
root growth and apply lawn sand if necessary.
March
The yearly lawn work programme really starts this month. As soon as the ground
conditions are suitable, the rst cut can be made. The rst cut should merely "top" the
grass as close cutting at this stage could result in severe yellowing or browning. Two
cuts are generally suf cient this month.
April
Mow often enough to stop grass growing away. Dig out patches of coarse grass or
resistant weed. Re-seed bare patches.
May
Keep mowing increasing the frequency as required. Treat with selective weed killers or
combined weed/feed preparations if you did not feed the lawn in April.
June
Summer mowing should now be under way. It should be necessary to mow the lawn
twice a week. Raking before mowing is important this month as the combined action
keeps runners of clover under control. Water the grass if necessary, and remember to
soak thoroughly.
July
Treat the grass with the second application of fertiliser or weed killer/fertiliser. Water
when necessary and rake occasionally. As a general rule the grass clippings should be
removed each time you mow. If weather conditions are dry and hot and the grass is weed
free, leave the clippings on the lawn to help maintain ground moisture.
To be used as a guide only
August
Keep mowing regularly and watering as necessary. Fill any cracks caused by drought
with a mixture of sharp sand and soil. In dry weather conditions leave the grass longer to
help retain ground moisture.
September
Raise the height of cut to allow the grass to thicken and protect the roots from the winter
frost and snow.
October
Rake out the thatch from the turf and spike the lawn to assist in drainage. Brush in peat
and sharp sand.
November
Use a stiff broom to disperse worm casts before mowing. Keep turf free from leaves.
December
Apart from brushing away leaves, December is a slack end of a busy year. Keep off the
lawn if it is very wet or frozen.
Lawn Stripes
The way to achieve a neat striped effect is for the lawn being cut in parallel stripes,
alternate stripes being mown in opposite directions. A much more important routine is
to cut at right angles to the line of the previous mowing. If the work has been carried in
a north-south line, then the next cutting should be in an east-west direction. The cross-
cutting keeps down the coarse weed grasses.
To prevent grass damage do not remove more than one third of the grass height in
one cut.
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