Spring Lawn Care Checklist 2026: Month-by-Month Guide

Spring is when your lawn either recovers from winter or falls further behind. The work you do between March and May determines how the lawn looks and performs right through summer and into autumn. Rush it and you set the lawn back. Get the timing right and everything else falls into place.

The short answer

March: First mow (blade high at 40mm+) and first feed once soil is consistently above 8-10C. Deal with any moss carried over from winter. April: Increase mowing frequency to weekly, lower the height gradually, and start weed treatments once broadleaf weeds are actively growing. May: Apply a second feed, establish your regular mowing routine, and overseed any remaining thin patches before summer heat arrives.

March: wake the lawn up

First mow of the year

Wait until the grass is actively growing, not just looking green. Set the blade high, at least 40mm, and just tip the growth. The goal is to tidy, not to scalp. Cutting too short in early spring stresses the grass when it is still coming out of dormancy and gives moss and weeds an opening.

First feed

This is the single most impactful thing you can do in March. Apply a slow-release granular spring feed (I use Spring Bio on the lawns I treat) once soil temperature is consistently above 8-10C. Granular feeds release nutrients over 6-8 weeks, which is what the lawn needs at this stage. Liquid feeds give a quick spike of green but do not sustain growth through April and May.

Timing matters more than the calendar date. A soil thermometer costs a few pounds and takes the guesswork out of it. If you do not have one, the Met Office publishes soil temperature data for UK regions.

Moss check

If moss came through the winter, March is the secondary treatment window (autumn is primary). Heavy moss is a sign that the underlying conditions, usually compaction and poor drainage, need addressing alongside the visible treatment. If your lawn is more moss than grass, read our complete moss removal guide before doing anything else. For targeted treatment, our moss control service covers assessment through to resolution.

Aeration

If the ground is compacted from winter foot traffic or just from the weight of saturated clay, a light spike aeration in March helps. Push a garden fork in to about 75mm depth across the worst areas. This is not a substitute for full hollow-tine aeration (better reserved for autumn), but it opens up the surface enough for the first feed to penetrate.

Essex note

In Essex, March soil temperatures can be unreliable. Clay soil warms more slowly than sandy or loamy soil after winter because it holds so much moisture. Do not rush the first feed based on a warm week in early March. Wait for consistent warmth. Check the soil, not the weather forecast.

April: the growth engine kicks in

Mowing frequency

Increase to weekly cuts (or fortnightly if growth is still slow in your area). Drop the mowing height gradually to 30-35mm over several cuts. The one-third rule applies all year: never remove more than one-third of the blade length in a single cut. Cutting more than that shocks the grass and weakens the root system.

Weed treatment

April is when broadleaf weeds start growing actively enough to absorb treatment effectively. This is the first reliable treatment window of the year. Dandelions, clover, daisies, and plantain are all treatable now.

I use a spot-treatment approach rather than blanket spraying. Targeted spot spraying puts the product exactly where it is needed and keeps it off the healthy grass. For more on how selective weed treatment works, see our weed control service page.

Watch for

• Dandelions: The bright yellow flowers are obvious. Treat while they are actively growing, before they seed.
• Clover: Low-spreading, often a sign of nitrogen deficiency in the soil. Feeding the lawn properly often reduces clover naturally.
• Red thread: Pink or reddish patches that look alarming but are usually a sign of underfed turf. A feed application typically resolves it within 2-3 weeks.

Watering

Usually unnecessary in April across Essex. Spring rain handles it. If a dry spell hits, water deeply once per week rather than light daily sprinkles. Deep watering encourages roots to grow downwards. Shallow watering keeps roots near the surface where they are vulnerable to summer drought.

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May: establish the routine

Second feed

A late May application carries the lawn into summer. I use a balanced summer feed like Vitax 6X at this stage, which provides steady nutrition through June and July without the flush of excessive growth that cheaper high-nitrogen feeds cause. Over-feeding is a genuine risk here. More product does not mean more results. It means lush, soft growth that is vulnerable to disease and drought.

Mowing

Weekly mowing is now the standard routine. Maintain the height at 30-35mm. If your mower has a mulching function, use it. Mulching returns finely chopped clippings to the soil surface where they break down and release nutrients. It is free fertiliser.

Weed treatment

Continue spot-treating as needed. Weeds are in their most active growth period through May and June, which also means they absorb treatments most effectively now.

Edge trimming

Monthly edging along beds, paths, and borders is what separates a good-looking lawn from a great one. A clean edge creates the visual frame that makes the grass look sharper, even before you improve the turf itself.

Looking ahead

If the lawn is still thin after winter and spring recovery, May is the last reliable window for spring overseeding before summer heat makes germination unreliable. After May, hold off until September when autumn conditions give new seed the best chance of success.

Common spring mistakes

Even experienced gardeners fall into these traps:

• Feeding too early. If the soil is below 8C, the grass cannot absorb the nutrients and the feed sits on the surface attracting moss and algae. Wait for warmth.
• Cutting too short too soon. Scalping the lawn after winter removes the leaf area the grass needs to photosynthesise and recover. Drop the height gradually over 3-4 weeks.
• Ignoring moss until April. By April, moss has had all winter to spread. The earlier you assess and treat (or plan autumn treatment), the less ground you lose.
• Using too much product. With lawn feed, more is not better. Follow the application rate on the bag. Double-dosing burns the grass and creates a flush of weak, leggy growth.
• Watering little and often. Light daily watering trains roots to stay near the surface. Water deeply once or twice a week if needed, then let the soil dry between sessions.

The one-third rule is the simplest principle in lawn care, and the one most people break. Never cut more than a third of the blade length in a single mow. It applies from the first cut of the year to the last.

Essex spring conditions

Essex has some specific quirks that affect spring lawn care timing:

• Clay soil warms slowly. Do not assume a warm spell in early March means the soil is ready. Clay retains cold moisture well into spring. A soil thermometer is the most reliable way to check.
• Late frosts in coastal areas. Parts of Colchester and Maldon can catch late frosts well into April. New grass seed is vulnerable to hard frost, so time any spring overseeding after the frost risk has passed.
• Waterlogged lawns into March. Heavy winter rainfall on clay often leaves lawns saturated into mid-March. Do not walk on waterlogged turf, as it compacts the soil and undoes any autumn aeration work. Wait until the surface is firm enough to walk on without leaving footprints.
• The A12 corridor tends to be slightly more sheltered than the coast. Towns like Witham, Kelvedon, and Hatfield Peverel usually see usable spring conditions a week or two earlier than exposed coastal areas.

Our spring schedule at Greener

For lawns on a treatment plan, March is our first visit of the year. I assess the lawn's condition after winter, note any moss or damage, and apply the first spring feed (Spring Bio) once soil temperature confirms it is the right time. There is no point applying product to cold soil just because the calendar says March.

Weed treatment starts when conditions allow, which in Essex is typically not before mid-April. Treating weeds before they are actively growing is a waste of product and the customer's money. I would rather wait two weeks and get a clean result than rush and need a repeat application.

After every treatment, I send a lawn health report so customers know exactly what was done, why, and what to expect next. No mystery, no "trust me, I'm the expert" without explanation. If the lawn needs something outside the plan, I flag it rather than just adding it to the bill.

For plan comparison and pricing, see our plans page. If you are specifically interested in the treatment-only option, the Lawn Health plan covers feeding, moss control, weed treatment, and annual scarification.

If your lawn had a rough winter, autumn is when we do the heavy renovation work. See our scarification timing guide for what to expect and how to prepare.

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Spring sets the foundation for everything that follows. Get March, April, and May right, and the lawn carries that momentum through the whole growing season.