WET start to the year left your lawn patchy?
After a particularly wet start to the year, many UK lawns are feeling the effects, with compacted soil, patchy grass and waterlogged areas becoming a common problem for gardeners heading into spring.
The good news is that with a few simple steps now, it’s possible to revive tired lawns and get them looking lush and healthy in time for summer.
Ish Kamran, Gardening Expert for Cherry Lane Garden Centres, shares his top tips for bringing lawns back to life this spring – from improving soil airflow to reseeding patchy areas and restoring a healthy, vibrant lawn ahead of the warmer months.
Start by fixing the soil
“In order to give your lawn some life before summer, you really need to work from the ground up, which means starting with the soil.
“After a wet winter, the soil often becomes compacted, and the key to a healthy lawn is good airflow.”
For larger gardens, Ish suggests scarifying the lawn, which removes dead grass and allows air to circulate through the soil.
But for smaller spaces, there’s an easier alternative.
“If you’ve got a smaller lawn, a garden fork or even a rake can be used to create holes in the lawn, which helps introduce airflow and gives the roots more space to breathe.”
Feed your lawn to tackle moss and weeds
Once the soil has been loosened, Ish recommends getting rid of the weeds by feeding the lawn to restore nutrients and improve grass growth.
“The best thing you can do is get yourself an all-in-one lawn feed. The great thing about these is that they’re usually really high in iron, which grass absolutely loves, but moss and weeds hate.”
After applying the feed, gardeners should leave it for a few days before removing dead moss.
“When you see the moss starting to die back, simply rake it away and you’ll start to see the lawn looking much healthier,” he added.
Reseed to repair patchy areas
If the winter weather has left your lawn looking uneven, the final thing to do is seed your lawn, which can help to restore thick, green grass in time for summer.
Ish recommends using a spreader to apply both feed and seeds evenly.
“A spreader helps you get a nice consistent coverage and takes away the guesswork,” he explains.
But gardeners with pets should take extra precautions.
“Remember that lawn seeds can be quite dangerous for pets if they get stuck in their skin or if they eat them, so it’s best to keep animals off the area whilst the grass establishes.
Top lawn care products to revive your garden this spring
- Digging Fork by Yeoman – Great for aerating compacted soil, helping improve airflow and allowing grass roots to grow stronger.
- Soil Rake by Yeoman – Ideal for clearing away dead moss and debris, leaving the lawn ready for feeding and reseeding.
- Westlands Lawn All in One Feed, Weed and Moss Killer – A lawn treatment that feeds grass while helping control weeds and moss.
- Westlands Lawn Seed and Feed Spreader – Helps evenly distribute lawn feed and grass seed, preventing patchy growth.
- Cherry Lane own-brand Garden Netting – Useful for protecting newly seeded areas and keeping pets away while grass establishes.
- Westlands Top Soil – Perfect for filling uneven patches and improving soil quality before reseeding.
- Westlands Hard Wearing Grass Seed – A durable seed mix designed to repair patchy lawns and encourage thicker grass coverage.
Gardeners can find all the products mentioned at Cherry Lane Garden Centres.
“You can use some netting around the edges, or for smaller patches, consider placing a few garden canes in the ground and wrap netting around them to create a protective perimeter.”
The simple trick to fix damaged lawn patches
For particularly stubborn bare patches, Ish recommends a surprisingly simple trick.
“All you need is a bucket with some really wet compost, mix in some grass seed to create a paste, and then simply press it into the ground.
“After a couple of weeks, the grass will grow through and help repair the patch!”
