How to give your lawn a spring boost

Your first cut of the year should be done with the mower blades set high to help thicken the grass. Afterwards, focus on weeding to reduce competition for nutrients and moisture.

Our experts have also tested a range of kit to keep it looking in tip top condition - from the best lawn mowers, to the best strimmers as well as the best scarifiers and best aerators.

Follow our step-by-step guide to giving your lawn a spring boost, below.

You Will Need

• Garden fork or hollow-tine aerator
• Sharp river sand
• Half-moon iron or spade
• Wire-tooth rake or powered scarifier
• Lawn feed

Step 1

Aerate to prevent waterlogging. This is particularly important if your lawn has endured heavy rains over winter. If yours is still squelchy, spike it with a garden fork every 15cm. You could also buy or hire a hollow-tined aerator that will remove cores of soil. You can sweep sharp river sand into the holes to help the ground dry out and help prevent future waterlogging.

Step 2

Recut edges using a half-moon iron or spade. You can do this by eye, but you'll get a better result by following the line of a scaffolding plank or other sturdy plank of wood, some taut twine or a snaking hosepipe if you want smooth curves.

Step 3

Use a spring-tined rake to rake moss from lawns to encourage grass to grow more vigorously.

Step 4

Feed the grass with a lawn fertiliser mix to give it the perfect balance of nutrients that slowly release for the rest of the season, making the grass greener and tough enough to withstand summer traffic. Measure your lawn and weigh out the right amount of fertiliser before sprinkling it evenly across the area.

Step 5

Water the grass thoroughly to wash the fertiliser into the soil. This stops it scorching the leaves and lets the roots take it up.

Creating lawn patch fillers

When reshaping the lawn, collect up the strips and place them 5cm apart in a compost-filled seed tray, then grow on outside or in a cold frame. To replace the bare patch, cut out a square or rectangle around the area and, using a hand trowel, dig up the soil in the rectangle to whatever depth of soil your new turf strip is. Gently lay the turf, cut to fit, over the patch. Firm it down so that there are no gaps and your new turf is no higher or lower than your existing lawn.