How to grow the perfect lawn

There are several challenges involved with your lawn - watering, mowing, adding nutrients, repairing patches and creating drainage are all regular lawn jobs. But with clever prep, you can circumnavigate the need for even more work.

- Ecologist and botanist Becky Searle

SPRING

At some point in spring, the lawn starts to grow quickly. When you start noticing this growth, you can start to mow. If you have tufts of grass where the grass has grown unevenly over winter, set your mower higher, and mow before reseeding or overseeding.

Once you have mown your lawn for the first time, you should gently rake it. Any bare patches revealed can be reseeded when the weather starts to warm up. I recommend adding a little bit of compost first and sprinkling some seeds on top. Press them gently into the soil by hand or by laying down a plank of wood and walking on it.

Don't walk directly on the seeds, as you risk damaging them, but a plank will distribute your weight for a gentler effect. If foot traffic is a problem, reseeding in autumn might be a better choice.