Monty Don has shared his list of three important lawn care jobs to do this month
September is one of the most crucial months in any gardener’s diary, as it’s the perfect time to ready your garden for both autumn and the forthcoming spring. Gardening expert Monty Don has outlined a lengthy list of tasks to tackle, ranging from pruning roses to trimming hedges.
However, it’s the lawn that demands particular attention this month, with three key jobs that simply cannot be overlooked – particularly following the extreme heat of the summer.
Monty suggests that September is the best time to focus on your lawn, as temperatures have dropped and grass should have bounced back from the summer heatwave. In a 2024 blog post, he recommended three key tasks:
Sow grass seed and repair lawns
Monty Don wrote: “This is an ideal time of year to either sow or turf new grass or to repair patches and worn areas on your lawn.”
He added: “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 advised gardeners to hold off mowing their lawn for at least a month, and should it appear “unsightly” heading into winter, to trim the new growth using shears, reports the Express.
For more substantial areas, clean the edges with a sharp shade, fork the ground thoroughly to break up any compaction, then either scatter with seed or lay a piece of turf to fit, making sure that the edges butted tightly against the existing grass.
Monty added: “Like grass seed, it is important that turf should not be walked on or mown until growing vigorously, which will indicate that the roots have become established and are growing strongly. Depending on the weather, this may mean leaving it uncut until next spring.”
Aerate lawns
Another widely recommended lawn task for September is aeration. Aerating your lawn enhances air circulation, water uptake, and nutrient availability for your grass.
Monty said: “Even if your lawn has come through the summer unscathed, it is always a good idea to aerate it at this time of year. You can use a fork by working the tines into the ground at 12-inch intervals or, for a larger lawn, hire a rolling hollow-tine or slitter. Ideally, this is followed by working sand into the holes they create with a stiff brush.”
To finish, give the lawn a thorough scratch with a wire rake to clear away all the thatch and moss. While it may appear somewhat sparse initially, the lawn will be fully “rejuvenated” come the following spring.
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