I’m a Professional Gardener: The Essential Lawn Job You Need to Do This Weekend

A gardening expert has revealed the one job you need to do this weekend.

As the weather turns, most people dread going into their garden, but this job is essential to ensure your lawn is ready for winter.

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Speaking The Ins & Outs PodcastGardening professional Polly shared the job she will be working on this weekend.

She said: “This is a good time to sow a new lawn, establish a new lawn, but also scarify.”

Scarifying the lawn means you will need a rake to remove dead thatch from the surface.

A small amount of felt is good for the grass, but large amounts can cause problems.

Large amounts of thatch (layers of dead grass and leaves) can stunt the growth of new grass, prevent water and nutrients from reaching the roots and promote moss formation.

To scarify a lawn you need to grab your rake from the garden, which Polly said will help you ‘get out in the garden this weekend’ – something we should take advantage of before it gets too cold.

You will want to gently scratch the surface of the grass to lift any dead grass and leaves. Be careful not to go too deep as this can damage the healthy grass.

Once you’re done, you can collect the felt and add it to your compost pile or into garden waste bags.

According to Alan Titchmarsh, who spoke with Gardeners Worldyou then want to aerate the lawn.

To do this, use a garden fork and push it into the soil at regular intervals and move it back and forth.

He explains that this reduces compaction and creates a healthier root system

The aftermath may look ugly, but they promise it will keep your lawn healthy all winter months long.

You might also consider mowing your lawn one last time before it gets too cold.

According to a gardening blog called Weed Man, your last cutting of the year should be about a week before the first frost.

Garden work in October

Veronica Lorraine, garden editor for The Sun, has shared the jobs you need to tackle this October.

“It’s a good time to prune deciduous hedges – such as boxwood, yew, hawthorn, hornbeam and beech – and hedge trimmers are a great upper body workout!

Make a leaf shape: Collect all fallen leaves and fill garbage bags or plastic carrier bags. Seal the top, poke a few small holes in the bag and store for a year or more. Free compost!

You’re unlikely to get any more red tomatoes, so harvest one more time and throw the plants into the compost. See if you can ripen the green ones by putting a drawer in them (some say with a banana). Save the seeds from a few too – and plant them again next year if they have gone well.

Finish bringing in your spring bulbs. Ideally you would have planted daffodils and alliums, but tulips are better in the open ground when the soil temperature gets a bit colder.

It is good to leave some plant waste in the ground; this adds nutrients as it rots, providing shelter and food for insects. But remove the dingy brown bits that are collapsing all over the lawn/winter structure.

Mulch – it not only suppresses weeds, but also keeps the soil warm, improves water retention and adds a little winter comfort to your outdoor space.

October is a good month for carrots, peas, asparagus, broad beans and rhubarb.”

Grass usually grows until the soil temperature reaches around 50 degrees, which may not be until November, so you still have a few weeks to get out and do it.

It is important to cut your grass short before it stops growing for several reasons. One of them is the chance of snow.

When snow falls on long grass, the grass can bend or felt, creating an environment for mold and disease.

If your lawn is choked, your grass may not recover from winter.