Lawn needs more care than you think. We show which care measures are required in which season so that you are optimally informed.
If you want to take good care of your lawn, you can easily lose track of the various measures and the right time to do so. However, for some care processes such as fertilizing, scarifying or weed control, the right time is crucial for success. For this reason, we have drawn up a season plan that tells you when which lawn care measures are best carried out.
Lawn care all year round
There is something to do for the right lawn care at any time of the year. In the following you will find out how you can optimally care for your lawn in spring, summer, autumn and even in winter and thus create a great look in the garden with lush green lawns.
Care for the lawn in spring
The flowering of the forsythia (Forsythia × intermedia) in March or April announces the maintenance program for the lawn. The soil slowly warms up, the lawn regenerates after the hibernation and slowly begins to grow again. After the cold, damp season with little sun, there is usually a particularly large amount of moss in the lawn, which should be put in its place as soon as the vegetation begins. That is why the lawn is scarified immediately after the first mowing in the spring. In the case of heavy soils, this can be followed by aeration and sanding of the soil. If the turf is very light, scarifying is followed by overseeding.
In any case, the lawn is fertilized in the spring after scarifying. This is essential for a he althy lawn all year round. We particularly recommend our primarily organic Plantura organic lawn fertilizer made from purely natural raw materials, which optimally nourishes the lawn after the winter. Even as a pet owner, you don't have to worry with this fertilizer - dogs, cats and co. can safely enter the lawn immediately after fertilization.
What is the best way to care for my lawn in spring?
- First mowing in March/April
- Subsequent scarifying to remove moss andThatch
- If the turf is very light, the lawn is overseed after scarifying
- Lawn fertilizer is essential for a he althy lawn in spring or early summer; a primarily organic long-term fertilizer such as our Plantura organic lawn fertilizer is particularly suitable
- On heavy soils, the lawn is aerated and sanded in spring, for example with our Plantura Premium Lawn Sand; both should better be done after scarifying
- From now on, mowing will be regular: at the latest when the lawn has reached twice its normal cutting height
- If longer periods of drought (2 - 3 weeks without rain) already occur in April or May, watering is already done in late spring; At temperatures around 20° C, the lawn enjoys an average of one natural or artificial rainfall per week
- In spring, the weeds begin to sprout at the same time as the grass; Root weeds like dandelions should be uprooted; if you want to let weeds bloom as a bee friend, mow in time before seed formation
Read this article for more information on spring's first fertilization of the year.
Care for the lawn in summer
Summer is the main growing season for grasses. Due to the warm weather, the lawn mower has to be used more often. To ensure that the cutting pattern remains beautiful, you should think about regularly sharpening the mower blades. Due to the frequent cutting measures, however, the grasses also lose valuable nutrients that have to be supplied again. The best way is with a primarily organic fertilizer with a long-term effect, such as our Plantura organic lawn fertilizer. This particularly strengthens the lawn when it is strained and provides it with the optimal amount of nutrients. As this is a granular fertilizer it should either be applied on a rainy day or the lawn should be watered after application.
By the way, the fertilizer should be applied with a spreader, because this will achieve an even distribution and the grass will grow accordingly. However, if you choose our Plantura organic lawn fertilizer, you can do without the spreader, as the box comes with a practical spreading aid for even application.
In addition to the necessary fertilizer application, water consumption also increases in summer. The following applies here:It is better to water less often and more penetratingly, otherwise there is a risk that the lower lawn roots will dry up.
What is the best way to take care of my lawn in summer?
- Too much loss of mass means additional stress for the grasses in the hot summer. Therefore mow in good time (at 9 to 10 cm) to a depth of 5 to 6 cm. If you go on vacation, it is best not to mow deeper than 5 cm. If you come back and the lawn is very high, mow a maximum of half the existing height (at 12 cm height to 6 cm).
- Water the lawn in time. Watch the ground and the blades of grass. Dried, yellowish blades of grass indicate that the previous watering was insufficient. When it is very hot, however, it should be watered at most every two days and in normal summer dryness it is better to water it only once or twice a week, but for a sufficiently long time.
- In the summer, lawns that are particularly stressed are once again supplied with a primarily organic long-term fertilizer such as our Plantura organic lawn fertilizer.
Tip: Too much watering, especially if the lawn has been used to it since seeding, leads to poorly formed, shallow roots. The lawn is spoiled and has more problems getting water from the soil when it is dry. It is therefore best to only water after one or two weeks of drought.
You can also find more about lawn fertilization in summer in this special article.
Care for the lawn in autumn
The gardening season is coming to an end and with it the care measures for your lawn are also changing. If there are small holes in the lawn, these can now be repaired with a handful of lawn seeds. The Plantura lawn repair, for example, is ideal for this. Now is also the best time to lay out a new lawn, as the soil has stored enough heat from the summer. The ground heat is needed for good germination results. From the end of August to the end of October it is time for the second or third fertilization of the lawn.
A special autumn fertilizer such as our Plantura organic long-term autumn lawn fertilizer supplies the lawn with potassium and thus prevents frost damage. It supports the lawn especially after the exhausting summer and growing season. Again, you should water after fertilizing or pick a rainy day. Too nitrogenous fertilization in autumn leads to less frost-tolerant grass plants, so that mostlythe entire surface or individual spots first turn yellow and then brown. If the lawn is heavily covered with moss and matted, it can be scarified a second time, but then before fertilizing. Likewise, very heavy soils can be aerated or sanded a second time.
What is the best way to care for my lawn in autumn?
- Watering less and less necessary
- Grass growth and mowing frequency also decrease over time as temperature and solar radiation decrease
- From the end of August to the end of October, the potassium-based autumn fertilization is carried out with, for example, our Plantura organic autumn lawn fertilizer with a long-term effect
Here you will find more information about autumn lawn fertilization.
Care for the lawn in winter
With increasing cold and decreasing solar heat, the lawn goes into hibernation. Nevertheless, there are a few care tips that should be observed for optimal winter storage. Potassium-rich lawn fertilization in autumn is an important measure for the successful overwintering of the lawn. The next fertilization takes place after the winter in spring.
In order to protect the lawn, the last cut before winter should be done in mid-November at the latest. Otherwise there is a risk that the so-called undergrowth in the lawn will wither away, which can quickly lead to a patchy, thin lawn with brown spots. Nevertheless, the lawn should start the winter shortened in order to achieve even illumination of all lawn grasses. This leads to a more even budding in the spring. For this reason, large amounts of leaves on the lawn should also be removed before winter so that the plants are not deprived of the light they need.
Note: We often hear that the lawn should not be walked on in frosty weather to avoid breaking off the stalks. We would like to clear up this rumour: Even frozen lawns can be walked on. If you do this gently, your grass plants will not suffer and the soil will not become compacted. Only excessive and unnecessary loads can cause serious damage when the ground is thawed.
What is the best way to care for my lawn in winter?
- After the potassium-rich autumn lawn fertilization, the lawn is not fertilized in winter
- The last mowing should be done in mid-November at the latest to protect the lawn
- Large amounts of foliage are removed before winter to prevent uneven budding in springavoid
- If you are careful, you can walk on the lawn without damaging it, even in frosty conditions
After the winter you should start again with the care measures in spring. You can also find out more about post-winter lawn care in this article.