Simple spring trick: how your lawn grows thick and richly green again

A garden department salesperson explains which straightforward spring trick will help your grass grow thick and richly green again.

By late February, many homeowners look out of the window in frustration: instead of vibrant green, they see brown patches, moss and flattened areas. This is precisely when most people feel compelled to do something – and often choose the wrong approach. An experienced employee at a garden centre branch sets out a simple sequence of steps that can bring even a tired lawn back into shape surprisingly quickly.

The right start to spring

Timing is crucial. Once temperatures become consistently milder and the ground is no longer frozen, the lawn begins to wake up. In central Europe, this period is usually during March.

Many people are too impatient at this point and cut the grass back drastically. That causes more harm than good. The gardening expert advises taking the first stage steadily.

“For the first cuts of the year, never remove more than one third of the blade length – otherwise, cutting weakens the plant.”

In practical terms, if the lawn is around 9 centimetres tall, the cutting height should be roughly 6 centimetres. If the grass still appears slightly too long afterwards, make another gentle cut a few days later. This allows the lawn to adapt to the care routine and produce fresh shoots.

Mulching or collecting the clippings?

Many modern lawn mowers have a mulching option. With this setting, the mower finely chops the grass and spreads it across the lawn in a thin layer. During summer, this provides effective natural fertiliser.

Spring is different. After winter, lawns are often wet and matted, while the grass blades tend to be soft. If larger amounts of clippings are left behind, they stick together and form a blanket over the turf. Less air and light reach the soil, and the lawn suffers as a result.

• In March and early April: collect clippings in the grass box.
• From May onwards, in dry weather: introduce mulching gradually.
• With very dense, long grass: always remove the clippings so that nothing rots.

Especially for the first few mowing sessions, it is worth playing safe and using the grass box. This gives the lawn space to breathe freely.

Why your lawn needs air

One aspect many people overlook is that the grass blades are not the only part requiring attention; the soil beneath them needs care too. Over time, the ground becomes compacted. Heavy soil containing plenty of loam or clay is particularly susceptible. Every walk across the lawn compresses the soil a little further.

The result is that water either remains on the surface or runs off rather than soaking deeply into the root zone. Oxygen finds it harder to enter the soil, so the roots cannot function properly. Moss and thatch spread, leaving the lawn looking tired and patchy.

“A few simple steps to aerate the lawn can make the difference between a thin patchwork and dense green growth.”

How to aerate your lawn correctly

For smaller areas, manual work is entirely sufficient. The garden department salesperson recommends combining raking with piercing the soil.

Typical steps include:

• Remove moss and thatch: Rake firmly across the surface with a sturdy lawn rake until moss, dead grass and thatch come loose.
• Pierce the soil: Push a garden fork or lawn aerating fork into the ground at even intervals. The holes can be several centimetres deep.
• Add sand if needed: In heavily compacted sections, fine quartz sand can be brushed into the holes. Over the long term, this improves the soil structure.

Anyone with a large lawn may find an electric or petrol-powered scarifier more convenient. Its rotating blades lightly cut into the ground while also combing out thatch and moss.

Here is a brief overview of the differences:

Method	Best used for	Effect
Rake	Small gardens	Removes moss and loose thatch
Scarifier	Medium to large areas	Cuts into thatch and lightly loosens the soil
Fork / aerator	Compacted areas	Improves water drainage and air supply

Filling gaps: how bare patches grow grass again

Once the soil has been loosened and cleared of thatch, one question remains: what should you do about bare spots? Here, the garden centre expert places particular emphasis on an intermediate step that many people skip.

“Bare patches first need a fresh bed of loose soil – only then is new seed or turf worthwhile.”

In other words, thoroughly loosen the top two to three centimetres of soil in the bare area, work in some fresh lawn soil or humus-rich garden soil if necessary, and level it gently. Only then should you add either fresh seed or ready-laid turf.

Turf or overseeding – which is the better choice?

There are essentially two ways to make bare areas green again:

• Turf / ready-laid lawn: Ideal for anyone who does not want to wait. The area can look excellent again within a day. The pieces must be pressed down firmly and watered sufficiently.
• Overseeding with a specialist lawn seed mix: This is cheaper but requires some patience. The expert recommends a regeneration or regeneration seed mixture specifically intended for closing gaps.

When overseeding, scatter the seed lightly but evenly, rake it in gently so that it makes contact with the soil, and keep it consistently moist during the first few weeks.

Birds, fertiliser and getting the timing right

Many amateur gardeners know the problem: as soon as fresh seed is down, the first sparrows are already at the “buffet”. Birds are particularly keen to eat newly scattered seed in early spring.

The practical tip is either to wait until temperatures rise further and birds have more natural food available, or to deliberately offer these winged tenants an alternative. Putting out feeding stations with, for example, fat balls can often draw them away from the lawn.

At the same time, there is the question of fertiliser. A nitrogen-rich lawn fertiliser stimulates growth. This makes the lawn denser and better able to suppress moss and weeds.

“With lawn fertiliser, it is better to apply a measured dose than to assume that more is better.”

Applying too much fertiliser can make the grass blades shoot upwards, but they will remain soft and vulnerable. Scorching is also possible if nutrient salts are present on the surface in excessively high concentrations. A lawn spreader helps distribute the right amount evenly.

When mulching becomes self-sustaining

As the days become longer and warmer and the lawn enters full growth, the mower’s mulching function can come back into use. The fine grass clippings then provide nutrients and reduce the need for fertiliser.

Important points:

• Mulch only when the grass is dry.
• Remove no more than one third of the blade length.
• Mow regularly so that too much material does not build up at once.

Anyone who follows this rhythm creates something close to a small nutrient cycle in their own garden: the blades grow, are cut, decompose and supply fresh nutrients.

What many people underestimate: patience and realistic expectations

A lawn is a permanent planting. Even the best advice will not turn a neglected area into a perfect park within a week. Initial improvements are often visible after just a few days, but the complete result develops over weeks and months.

A multi-year plan is particularly worthwhile for heavily compacted soil: aerate it a little every spring, add sand where needed, fertilise regularly but not excessively, and avoid mowing too low in summer. This combination strengthens the turf over the long term.

It is also useful to consider how the lawn is used. A purely ornamental lawn can cope with more detailed care, while a family lawn used by children, paddling pools and garden parties needs tougher grass varieties and a little more tolerance for patches or bare areas. Anyone who realistically assesses their household’s needs and the pressure placed on the space can tailor the care steps more effectively.

The eventual result is exactly what many people quietly hope for: a richly green, pleasantly springy lawn that is enjoyable to walk across barefoot and sturdy enough to spread out a blanket on without hesitation – because good care has made the ground strong enough to recover again.