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Spring Lawn & Garden Care Guide

Mow Smart in March

  • Light trims only: Give your lawn a gentle cut—don’t remove too much. This encourages deep root growth and prepares it to withstand summer drought (montydon.com).
  • Avoid over-fighting “problems”: Moss, daisies, ants, and dandelions often signal undernourished grass. In most cases, prioritising a healthy lawn will naturally suppress those issues (thesun.co.uk).

Improve Drainage & Soil Texture

  • Aerate regularly: Each spring, use a garden fork to poke holes about every 15 cm. Wiggle the fork to break up compaction from roots, rain or foot traffic (montydon.com).
  • Top-dress the lawn: Fill those holes with a mix of equal parts sieved topsoil, sharp or silver sand, and compost or leaf mould. This boosts drainage and feeds grassroots (montydon.com).
  • Rake away thatch: A good scratch with a wire rake will remove winter build‑up of moss and dead material, helping light and moisture reach the soil. Compost the debris before mowing (montydon.com).

Overseed & Fertilise

  • Once raking and aerating are done, scatter grass seed over any thin or bare patches. Water lightly and regularly for better germination.
  • Consider applying a nitrogen-rich fertiliser during active growth for thicker, greener turf (thesun.co.uk).

Bulbs & Perennials

  • Leave bulb foliage intact until it naturally yellows (often June) to allow nutrients to return to the bulbs .
  • Divide herbaceous perennials in spring if needed: replant more vigorous outer sections and compost the overgrown center. Do this every three to five years (montydon.com).

Pruning

  • Early spring (first half of March) is ideal for pruning shrubs and climbers that bloom on new shoots—such as late clematis, roses, and buddleia.
    • Cut back to healthy side shoots or buds.
    • Hard prune species like Cornus, Salix, and Sambucus to encourage vibrant fresh stems (montydon.com).

Ornamental Grasses

  • Deciduous grasses (e.g. miscanthus, deschampsia): cut back to ground level before new shoots emerge.
  • Evergreen types (e.g. Stipa, cortaderia): remove dead foliage by hand or rake. Add a layer of low-nutrient mulch like pine bark.
  • Hold off on dividing or transplanting until late spring or early summer when the grasses are actively growing (montydon.com).

Shrubs & Woody Plants

  • Plant woody shrubs in early spring so roots establish before leaf-out. Clear weeds, dig a shallow wide hole (~9″ deep), dust roots with mycorrhizal fungi, and plant slightly above soil level. Backfill, firm, water well, and mulch (montydon.com).

Dahlia Tubers

  • Pot up dahlia tubers in March. Clean and assess tubers, plant just beneath compost surface in peat-free mix. Soak, then place in sheltered frames or greenhouse. Harden off in May and plant out post-frost (montydon.com).

Vegetable Plot & Allotment

  • Under cover: sow cabbage, lettuce, celery, beetroot, tomatoes.
  • Outdoors (if soil is warm): broad beans, beetroot, spinach, rocket, parsnips, radish, winter lettuce.
  • Plant shallots directly (9″ apart, shoulder exposed, fleece over to protect from birds).
  • Chit potatoes and plant late-month if soil isn’t too wet.
  • Dig in green manure; prepare raised beds; prune currants and gooseberries (montydon.com, montydon.com).

Wildlife & Birds

  • Continue feeding birds—they’re nesting and need energy. Offer high-fat feeds like suet, peanuts, sunflower seeds (montydon.com).
  • Preserve hibernation zones: avoid over-clearing leaves or woodpiles to protect hedgehogs, amphibians, bats, and other wildlife emerging from dormancy (montydon.com).

Why It Works

  • Promoting a strong root system from spring encourages denser, more resilient turf less susceptible to pests, weeds, and drought.
  • Addressing soil compaction and drainage early sets the foundation for a thriving lawn and overall garden health.
  • Complementing with pruning, planting, and wildlife care ensures a balanced ecosystem—not just aesthetics.