Lawn grass

Poaceae (lawn seed mixes: Lolium perenne, Festuca, Agrostis spp.) · Poaceae

Most UK gardens have a lawn

Photo: Acabashi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sun: Full sun to part shade (shade-tolerant mixes available)
Soil: Well-prepared, firm, free-draining topsoil
Soil pH: Slightly acid, roughly pH 5.8-7.0. Perennial ryegrass tolerates acid to alkaline soil
Water: Keep newly sown lawns consistently moist. Established lawns recover from summer drought browning
Hardiness: Hardy cool-season grasses that overwinter outdoors throughout the UK
Height and spread: Mowing height: fine lawns 0.6-1.3cm, standard lawns about 2.5cm (summer) to 4cm. Some advice suggests 4-6cm

Guv's tipNever take more than a third of the leaf height off in one mow. Your lawn will thank you for the patience, I promise.

Through the year

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Sow or plant

Timings are for the UK as a whole. Northern and exposed gardens often run a couple of weeks later.

Sow Sep-Nov (autumn, best) or Mar-Apr (mid-spring)

Mowing season roughly Mar-Oct; final cuts can run into Nov

Mow regularly, never removing more than a third of the leaf height at once

Seed or turf

Pest

Look for: Yellow-brown patches, birds and badgers digging turf

What to do: Nematode biological controls at appropriate season

Disease

Laetisaria fuciformis

Look for: Pinkish-red patches in turf in late summer/autumn

What to do: Feed with nitrogen, scarify and aerate

Always read and follow the label on any treatment, and check it is approved for use where you live.

Pets and people: Not listed as toxic or non-toxic by the ASPCA, and no poison data is given by NC State University's plant toolbox

Weed risk: None known

Checked against two or more reputable gardening sources. How we check our facts

Keep it by the back door

Printable pest and disease charts with real photographs, and all 50 UK plants in one book.