Spring Lawn Care Checklist for North Cornwall & Devon Homeowners

Spring is the most important season for your lawn. The decisions you make between February and May determine whether you'll have a lush, thick lawn by summer — or be battling bare patches, weeds, and moss all year. Here's our professional checklist, refined over 23 years of greenkeeping.

Step 1: The First Mow (Late February – March). The first mow of the year should be on the highest setting your mower allows. This isn't about cutting the grass short — it's about tidying the surface, removing winter debris, and encouraging the grass to start tillering. Mowing too short too early is one of the most common mistakes we see. It weakens the plants at exactly the moment they need energy reserves to grow. Keep the mower on its highest setting for the first three cuts, then gradually lower it over the following weeks.

Step 2: Spring Feed (March – April). After months of dormancy, your lawn is nutrient-depleted. A balanced spring feed provides the nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium the grass needs to leaf out, develop roots, and strengthen against disease. We use slow-release formulations applied via calibrated professional spreaders — this drives the green colour and leaf growth that makes your lawn look alive again. Timing matters: apply when daytime temperatures consistently reach 8-10°C and there's some rain forecast within 48 hours.

Step 3: Moss Treatment (March – April). If moss has colonised over winter — and in our climate, it almost certainly has — now is the time to treat it. A liquid moss control application will blacken and kill the moss within two weeks. Don't scarify the dead moss out immediately; wait until the grass has been growing strongly for at least 3-4 weeks so it can recover from any disruption.

Step 4: Weed Control (April – May). As soil temperatures rise above 10°C, weeds start germinating alongside your grass. A selective herbicide applied in April or May will target broadleaf weeds (dandelions, clover, buttercups) without harming the grass. Timing is crucial — apply too early when weeds are small and they won't absorb enough product; too late and they'll have set seed. We find the sweet spot is usually mid-April in North Cornwall.

Step 5: Aeration (April – May). If your soil is compacted — and after a wet Cornish winter, it probably is — aeration opens up the root zone. We use solid-tine aeration which punches thousands of holes across your lawn, creating channels that allow air, water, and nutrients to reach the roots. This single step can transform a struggling lawn by addressing the compaction that causes waterlogging, shallow rooting, and weed invasion.

Bonus: if your lawn is thin or patchy after winter, spring overseeding (March–April) with a quality seed mix can fill gaps before weeds colonise the bare soil. Choose a seed mix suited to your conditions — we use coastal-tolerant blends for Bude and Padstow, and shade-tolerant mixes for sheltered inland gardens. With these five steps completed by May, your lawn will be in great shape for summer.