Lawn care all year round: what is important and when

Lawns require more care than you think. We show which care measures are required in which season so that you are optimally informed.

Anyone who wants to take good care of their lawn 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.

Maintain lawns in spring

With the bloom of forsythia (Forsythia × intermedia) in March or April the maintenance program for the lawn is announced. 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. Therefore, after the first mowing in spring, the Lawn scarified. After that, this can be done on heavy soils airing and sanding of the ground follow. If the turf is very light, scarifying is followed by overseeding of the lawn.

In any case, the lawn is fertilized in the spring after scarifying. This is essential for a healthy lawn all year round. We particularly recommend our primarily organic Plantura Organic Lawn Fertilizer from purely natural raw materials, which optimally cares for 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 and thatch
• If the turf is very light, the lawn is overseed after scarifying
• Lawn fertilizer is essential for a healthy lawn in spring or early summer; especially a primarily organic long-term fertilizer like our Plantura Organic Lawn Fertilizer is ideally suited
• 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 the length of its normal cutting height
• If longer periods of drought (2 – 3 weeks without rain) occur in April or May, irrigation is also carried out in late spring; At temperatures around 20° C, the lawn enjoys an average of one natural or artificial rainfall per week
• At the same time as the grasses, the weeds also begin to sprout in spring; Root weeds like dandelions should be uprooted; if you want to let weeds bloom as a bee friend, mow in time before seed formation

More information about first fertilization of the year in spring see this article.

Maintain lawns 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.

Incidentally, the fertilizer should be applied with a spreader, as this ensures even distribution and the grass grows accordingly. However, if you opt for our Plantura Organic Lawn Fertilizer decide, you can do without the spreader, as the box is equipped with a practical spreading aid for even spreading.

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 out.

What is the best way to care for 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, then mow a maximum of half the existing height (at 12 cm high by 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. However, when it is very hot, it should be watered every two days at most, and with normal summer drought, it is better to water it only once or twice a week, but for a sufficiently long time.
• Particularly stressed lawns are treated again in summer with a primarily organic long-term fertilizer such as our Plantura Organic Lawn Fertilizer provided.

Tip: Too much watering, especially if you've gotten the lawn used to it since seeding, will result in 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 a week or two of drought.

more on the subject Lawn fertilization in summer can also be found in this special article.

Caring for the lawn in the fall

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, they can now be cleaned with a handful Lawn seeds repaired will. For this is the Plantura lawn repair for example ideally suited. Also for one new lawn Now is the best time, as the ground still has 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 like our Plantura Organic autumn lawn fertilizer with long-term effect supplies the lawn with potassium and thus prevents frost damage. It supports the lawn especially after the draining summer and growing season. Again, you should water after fertilizing or pick a rainy day. Too much nitrogenous fertilization in autumn leads to less frost-tolerant grass plants, so that the entire area or individual patches usually 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?

• Irrigation 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 with, for example, our Plantura Organic autumn lawn fertilizer made with long-term effects

Here you can find more information about autumn lawn fertilization.

Caring for lawns in winter

With increasing cold and decreasing solar heat, the lawn says goodbye to 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.

notice: One often hears that the lawn should not be walked on in frosty weather, in order not to break 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 take place in mid-November at the latest to protect the lawn
• Large amounts of foliage are removed before winter to avoid uneven budding in spring
• If you are careful, you can walk on the lawn without damaging it, even in frosty weather

After the winter you should start again with the care measures in the spring. More details on Lawn care after winter can also be found in this article.