WE have had another winter without too much in the way of snow or prolonged frost periods although the snow earlier this week reminds us we are not quite out of summer yet.

This type of weather can be conducive to the spread of moss if autumn aeration was not carried out.

Frost helps to not only breaks up the soil in the borders but helps to open the soil for better root growth in lawns. Aeration in the spring by pushing a garden fork in to the lawn can help the drainage of the garden and if your soil is particularly wet applying some coarse sand to the area will help water move away from the surface.

If you mow the lawn with a cylinder machine then make sure any sand applied is well brushed in to avoid blunting the cylinder of your mower.

A lot of our natural soils are clay soil and sometimes we refer to them as ‘cold soils’ as they can take a long time to heat up in spring and support good grass growth.

If moss has become a problem then now is the time to tackle it and be prepared for some follow up work 2 weeks after applying a balanced fertiliser with iron (ferrous sulphate).

Correct application of this product is important to avoid scorching areas of the lawn. A simple hand held spreader is available now that makes applying the product easier and accurately or alternatively wheeled drop spreaders are available.

Application in light rain helps the product to soak in to the moss and will turn the moss black in a few days.

The moss should be raked out 10-14 days after application by a springbok rake or a scarifying machine, doing this will reduce the likelihood of the moss spreading again.

Moss is a sign of another problem, possibly poor drainage or mowing the lawn too short. It is always important to protect the growth of the grass at this time of year by reducing no more than one third of the grass length during mowing.

This allows the grass to stay strong and avoids scalping that can lead to moss.

Once the moss has been removed it may be necessary to go over the lawn with a little grass seed, this will help to fill areas where the moss had crowded the grass out.

If the lawn is going to be used for budding football stars then look to use a hard wearing grass seed such as ryegrass. If the lawn is more conducive to someone aspiring to the Masters this weekend or for the occasional tea party and you want a fine lawn then look to use a finer grass such as fescues.

It may be necessary to apply a further application of fertiliser later in the summer perhaps late May/Early June but avoid putting lots of fertiliser on leading to excessive soft growth, another balanced fertiliser application that is not too high in nitrogen will help see the lawn through the summer months.

If weeds are a problem consider a weed n feed or a ready to use selective spray to route out those annoying daisies or dandelions or alternatively think about using a daisy fork but be sure to fill any holes with a compost/seed mix to stop anymore weeds invading.

Clocks change in the UK this weekend officially stating summer time begins, longer nights and some warmer weather should hopefully start to see warmer weather and stronger growth in the garden.

Paul Brannan