The lawn in spring: scarify, reseed, feed

Moss, thatch and bare patches are completely normal after winter. Snow, wet and little light take their toll on the grasses, while moss loves exactly these conditions. As soon as the soil has dried out and temperatures stay above 10 °C, the spring treatment begins – usually from the end of March to mid-April.

Step 1: mow and scarify

First the lawn is mown short twice, to about 3 cm. Then it is scarified: the blades score the turf and pull out moss and dead material. Work once lengthwise and once crosswise, setting the blades only 2–3 mm deep. The result looks alarming at first – that is normal.

Step 2: reseed bare patches

Straight after scarifying is the best moment for reseeding: the soil is open and the seeds get good contact with the earth. On patchy areas 12 g of seed per square metre is enough, on bare patches 25 g. Rake the seeds in lightly and cover with a thin layer of soil.

For family gardens a hard-wearing mixture such as lawn seed “Sport & Play” is ideal, as it recovers quickly even after heavy use.

Step 3: feed

About four weeks after reseeding, when the young grass can be mown for the first time, apply an organic lawn fertiliser. It releases nutrients slowly and promotes soil life. In dry weather, water thoroughly afterwards.

Sunny areas

Reseed in April, water daily in dry spells.

Shady areas

Use a shade lawn mixture, mow higher.

New seed

Keep evenly moist for three weeks.

Do not scarify too early: on wet or cold soil it does more harm than good, because the grass cannot recover fast enough.

Above all, new seed needs even moisture in the first weeks. A watering can with a fine rose will not wash the seeds away on small areas.