The horticultural expert and BBC Gardener’s World presenter is renowned for his lawn perfecting tips – from his advice for the growing a lawn to the best time to cut grass – and he’s adamant that September is the time to act on lawn repairs. Sharing his garden ideas in his blog (opens in new tab), Monty explains that September is the best time to prepare your lawn for the year ahead – so you may need to act now for a verdant green patch in the future. ‘This is an ideal time of year to either sow or turf new grass or to repair patches and worn areas on your lawn,’ Monty begins. But what does the repair process involve? According to the celebrity gardener, the method depends on the size of the sparse area. ‘If it is just a worn area of thin grass, rake away all thatch and moss and remove all weeds and thinly scatter grass seed, watering well and keeping it damp. The seed should germinate and grow in days,’ Monty explains. However, the lawn repairing process continues long after you hang up your rack. Yes, Monty’s grass cutting advice is to step away from the mower for ‘at least a month’. However, if it looks unattractive, he suggests carefully cutting back new growth with shears. Meanwhile, for a larger area, he suggests beginning by cleaning the edges with a spade before forking the area to ‘remove any compaction.’ ‘Either scatter with seed or cut a piece of turf to fit, making sure that the edges are butted tightly against the existing grass,’ he adds. If choosing the latter, Monty explains that the process is similar to grass seed – and the turf should ’not be walked on or mown until growing vigorously.’ This will ‘indicate that the roots have become established and are growing strongly,’ he says. Depending on the climate, this could mean restraining from cutting until the following spring. Monty Don’s tips on getting the perfect lawn will ensure your garden looks gloriously green next spring and summertime – but the process starts now. We’re rushing to follow his advice before October arrives.
