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Maintaining your lawn in the spring

Getting someone else to do a job for you can be costly. But with the right approach you can do a lot by yourself. You’ll save time and money by using the handy step-by-step instructions that you’ll find on the SKIL website. These step-by-step instructions are divided into categories relating to the different kinds of jobs in and around the home, and give you clear, A to Z explanations.

Just click on one of our step-by-step instructions and you’ll be able to get started right away!

  1. Remove all leaves and other detritus from your lawn

    Start by removing leaves and other detritus, such as twigs, from your lawn. A leaf blower will get the job done quickly. As well as (dead) leaves, a leaf blower can also suck up and cut up small pruning waste. This is deposited in a bag so it can be easily thrown away.

  2. Mowing

    As soon as you see that the grass has started growing, you can begin mowing it every week. Regular mowing increases the oxygen level around the grass. This reduces the likelihood of moss forming. You should make sure the grass is dry when you mow it. Wet grass sticks together and can clog up your lawn mower.

    Depending on what the lawn is used for and the ambient temperature, decide how long you want the grass to be and select the desired setting on the lawn mower. If yours is an ornamental lawn or it’s in the shadow for a large part of the day, set the mowing height to 2-3cm (about 1 inch). If you have more of a play lawn for children or pets, set the mowing height to 4-5cm (1.5-2 inches). If it’s hotter than 25°C outside, mow the grass a little longer than you normally would. You can cause damage to grass down into the roots by mowing it short when the temperature is high.

  3. Remove moss

    It’s well worth scarifying the lawn again in the spring if moss has formed over the winter. You can use a special lawn raker, which plucks the moss out of the soil. This also aerates the lawn. You can get the lawn raker out as soon as the grass starts to grow, which can be as early as the beginning of April. Then, simply rake together the moss and take it away.

  4. Seeding

    It’s important that you seed grass to help the lawn recover after the winter and ensure you have a clean, healthy lawn in the spring and throughout the summer. Grass germinates best when the temperature is a little higher, so April/May is a good time to seed. If the grass grows thickly, moss has less chance to develop.

    Make sure the grass remains moist until the grass seed has germinated. Walk on the lawn as little as possible, especially where you have seeded, as newly germinated blades of grass are very fragile and can be irreparably damaged. Bear in mind that birds like nothing better than grass seed. Some garden centres have special seed that birds don’t like, but you can also scare birds away by planting a piece of aluminium foil on a stick at various points on the lawn.

  5. Fertilising

    Every lawn needs nutrients. We advise you to fertilise your lawn in the spring and again in the summer. This provides added protection against diseases, helps the grass recover faster and reduces the likelihood of moss forming.

    Various types of fertiliser are available. They can be split into two main groups: organic fertiliser and artificial fertiliser. Artificial fertiliser is cheaper than organic fertiliser and contains all the minerals the lawn needs. Organic fertiliser only contains natural nutrients and it works longer than artificial fertiliser. Take note that most fertilisers contain substances that are harmful to children and pets. With this in mind, you should preferably keep children and pets away from the lawn for a few days to allow the fertiliser to penetrate into the soil. Always follow all instructions on the product packaging.

  6. Trimming edges

    You can trim the edges of your lawn in the spring to remove any overgrowth from the winter and generally smarten it up. Here’s what you do:

    Step 1: Stretch a piece of string along the edges of the lawn
    If you want to trim a straight stretch of lawn, you can just follow the string. Place two sticks at the ends of the edge of the lawn and then place any additional sticks in between. Now stretch a piece of string between them along the edge of the lawn. Make sure it’s stretched tight so that it cannot move.

    Step 2: Trim along the edge
    Now you can trim the edge using a special edge trimmer. Place the edge trimmer against the inside of the string. Make sure the edge trimmer is tilted in the ground so that the edge of the lawn remains firm and does not crumble away. Move the edge trimmer along the length of the string with a cutting motion.

    Step 3: Rake together the lawn edges
    Use a rake to gather together the edges that you have cut off.

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Maintaining your lawn in the spring

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