A lawn is very difficult thing to kill, but without care and attention it could look a shambles. All you need to do are a few jobs in autumn and spring, and then keep an eye on the grass during the rest of the year to ensure a perfect expanse of grass.

Autumn

As the weather cools, raise the cutting height of your mower and reduce the frequency of mowing from once a week to only when the grass needs cutting. Unless unseasonably mild weather occurs, you need not mow at all from November to mid or late March.

Replace lost nutrients by applying an autumn lawn fertilizer with a low proportion of nitrogen, to avoid making it produce too much lush, soft growth.

Scarify your lawn (scratch out dead grass and moss) to remove the layer of matter that will have built up during the summer, and which can choke new growth in the spring. Use a spring-tined, splayed-head rake, or hire a motorised scarifier if you have a large garden.

If you have a moss problem, use a moss killer before you scarify, so that you don't spread it around. Follow the instructions on the moss-killing product you buy.

Aerate the lawn by is making holes in the surface to bring in fresh oxygen, improve drainage and stop compacting. Use a wheeled spiker; hollow-tined fork or an ordinary garden fork plunged about 10cm into the earth.

Autumn is the time to top dress your lawn, once it has been aerated and scarified. Use a mixture made from six parts medium-fine sand, three parts sieved soil and one part peat, peat substitute or leaf mould. Use about 3kg per square metre. This will help keep the drainage of the lawn in good condition, create a flatter surface, lead to denser grass growth and stop the holes you've made from closing up.

Spring

As the weather improves, your lawn will start to grow. Lower the cutting height of your mower. Begin cutting the grass when necessary and, as the season continues, step up to once or twice a week.

Apply a spring lawn fertiliser - a specific mix of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.

If you have a post-winter moss problem, apply lawn sand or other moss killer before you carry out any other lawn care.

Lightly scarify the lawn. This is especially essential if you want to keep on top of a moss problem.

Watering

For most of the year, lawns in Britain do not need watering because the weather is damp enough. But dry spells in spring or summer may require that the grass be watered to prevent it from dying back and weakening the lawn.

If you tread on the grass and the blades don’t spring back, the lawn needs water. A light, infrequent spraying is the answer because frequent watering encourages shallow rooting, and heavy watering promotes moss and disease. Use a hosepipe with an adjustable spray nozzle on a small lawn, and a sprinkler system for a larger area.

Weeds

If you have a few troublesome weeds, simply pull them out by hand, using an old kitchen knife to dig out long roots. Or you can use a selective weed killer to spot-weed the odd unwanted flora.

A general weed killer applied in the spring will deal with a major infestation. Wheeled applicators are available, distributing the correct dosage. In extremely drastic situations, re-seeding or re-turfing may be necessary as soon as the weeds have been totally eradicated.

Worms and moles

A big worm population means a healthy soil. But worm casts, the coils of fine, digested soil left on the surface by earthworms, can be unsightly – especially when they are plentiful in warm, moist soil. Wait until they dry in the morning sun, and then use a brush to either gather them up to put on your borders, or spread them lightly across the lawn. A besom broom (one made of bunched twigs) is best for this job.

Worms may be the gardener’s friend, but moles are his enemy. Their hills are ugly and their tunnelling can damage turf and increase the rate at which it dries out. Moles are hard to eradicate, but a severe infestation of moles will require the use of lethal traps. Though there are other, more humane methods – most notably mole balls (like mothballs) and devices that can be placed in mole-holes to emit a sonic frequency that will scare away the creatures.

Repairs

If a patch of lawn becomes worn, the thin patches should be scratched with a rake in autumn and re-sown. Lift the turf from hollows, fill with a little soil and replace the turf before rolling until flat.

To replace a damaged area, dig out a square of turf using a half-moon edging iron. Lightly fork over the soil, level it, firm lightly, and then add a touch of compost. Lay new turf or re-seed the area. Be sure the seed or turf matches the rest of the lawn, or else you could end up with a patch of a different colour or growth rate. If it isn’t possible to make a match, remove a piece of turf from a less prominent part of the lawn.

Finally, make sure the finished piece is level with the rest of the lawn. Work fertilizer into the joins and firm with the back of a rake.

Edges

Trim your lawn’s edges during good weather, using long handled shears or trimmer. Or lay paving slabs along the lawns edges, setting them just below the level of the lawn, and then trim the lawn back with a half-moon edging tool once each growing season.

More information

There is a wealth of websites offering advice on lawn care plus general gardening advice. Browse our selection of links to Home Gardening Advice sites (www.uknetguide.co.uk/Homes_and_Gardens/Gardening/Gardening_Advice.html).