Forget mowing, Monty Don says you should be giving your lawn a 'good scratch' this month

As we start to welcome warmer weather it's time to tend to lawns and awaken dormant grass with due diligence. And who better to guide us on what to do first than garden royalty Monty Don, who has shared his essential lawn care tips for March.

Despite the popular garden trend of rewilding and letting lawns grow, there are still essential jobs to tackle at this time of the year to enable your grass to thrive all summer long. 

Lawn care mistakes are common at this time of the year because the weather can be unpredictable, meaning sudden downpours can make knowing when to cut grass for the first time after winter and timing other key jobs feel like a risky business. 

Fear not, Monty Don suggests a job that can be done this month no matter what the weather has in store. On his much-loved blog of tips and advice, he outlines the jobs to do for lawns in March recommending: "giving the lawn a good scratch with a wire rake. This will get at all the overwintering thatch and moss, and let light and water get to the soil and to the roots of the grass."

Monty Don's lawn care tips to follow in March

Monty's advice to 'give the lawn a good scratch with a wire rake' is essentially the act of scarifying a lawn, a popular technique that removes moss or dead organic matter from the surface of the grass by using a rake to comb the surface.

When removing the top layer of dead organic matter and moss commonly known as 'the thatch', timing can prove tricky because it's less straightforward than knowing when to mow. Although experts say you shouldn't scarify a wet lawn it's still a job you should do this month. 

After performing the act of 'scratching' your lawn, to coin Monty's phrase, he recommends: "Put the debris on the compost and then mow. It will look a little bald for a week or so but will grow back thicker than ever." 

"The grass will need mowing in March but do not cut it too short," Monty warns. "Just give it a light trim for the rest of this month. This will encourage good root growth and as a result, the grass will be a lot healthier and better able to resist summer drought." 

By that time your reawakened grass will be ready to start considering how often you should mow the lawn for the months ahead plotting in a fertilising routine and planting grass seed where necessary.

Getting ahead of essential summer lawn care prevents any issues further down the line, to ensure your grass stays healthy and looks its best during the sunshine months to be ready to throw garden parties and host BBQs at the drop of a hat.

The Gardening Book: Monty Don, RRP £14 at Amazon

As a respected figure within the gardening world, it's no surprise that Monty has a number one best-selling book where he reveals his best gardening tips and tricks to help a garden thrive all year round. This is a must-read for a budding gardener, an ideal gift for mum this month.

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Following Monty Don on Instagram is a great way to stay on top of all his latest tips and guidance to help improve our gardens, like his genius Bulb Lasagne planting method. 

Helpfully he breaks it down on his blog into months to ensure all the best jobs are covered like a checklist, from plants to prune in January, plants to prune in February, plants to prune in March and so on.