As spring approaches, gardening expert Monty Don has issued a warning to gardeners to avoid making one major mowing mistake. According to the TV presenter and acclaimed British horticulturist, the first task of the season is mowing the lawn.
On his blog, he says: “The grass will need mowing in March, but do not cut it too short. Just give it a light trim for the rest of this month. This will encourage good root growth, and as a result, the grass will be a lot healthier and better able to resist summer drought.”
As conditions improve, with more dry weather expected throughout the latter half of the month, the temptation can be there to keep mowing it to summer-like lengths to keep it neat and tidy. But this could be a big mistake, Monty warns. Some people will want to keep their lawns as short and level as possible. However, longer grass is actually better for the ecosystem and wildlife and should not be cut to the shortest of lengths.
“Don’t scalp your lawns”, Monty urged.
In his mowing advice, he continued: “Try and restrict the mowing as much as possible. In our garden, we have reduced it right down to mown paths in the long grass.
“Whatever your grass-cutting inclinations, resist the temptation to scalp your grass down to its midsummer height. Set the blades high and just trim the grass for the first few weeks as much to even it out as to reduce it.”
Only when the weather really warms up and grass starts to strengthen can the height be reduced over the following weeks. Clippings can be added to the compost and mixed with dry, brown material such as straw or cardboard to prevent it from becoming wet and grimy.
Monty said that gardens can be left to wrack and ruin throughout winter, bearing the brunt of adverse weather and succumbing to too much rainfall in some instances. Many lawns look a little worse for wear come spring, but there are ways to bring them back.
The TV gardener has previously suggested aerating your lawn with a fork to improve drainage and promote root growth. He also suggests scarifying to remove moss and thatch and feeding your lawn with a mixture of topsoil, sand, and leaf mould.
On colder days, where overnight frost settles, it is generally advised not to walk on the lawn until this has melted.
