Monty Don warns against cutting your grass short in March – here's why

BBC's Gardeners' World presenter Monty Don is no stranger to lawn cutting tips. The expert is already known for telling gardeners to reduce their mowing habits to encourage wildlife and promote a biodiverse space. And while his ethos remains the same across the calendar, he particularly urges gardeners to follow his lawn care advice this March. 

Monty confesses that your grass will need mowing this month, however, he explains that you should not go 'too short'. So, you can still use your best lawn mower, but with caution at first. Here's what you need to know before you start to cut. 

Monty Don's March grass cutting tip

'The grass will need mowing in March but do not cut it too short,' the expert says in his blog. Monty Don explains that you should give it only a 'light trim for the rest of this month' for an important reason. 

'[It] will encourage good root growth, and as a result, the grass will be a lot healthier and better able to resist summer drought,' he adds. 

And whether you're looking for large or small garden ideas, the guru's advice remains the same. If you can limit your mowing for a little while longer, you will reap the benefits over the sunnier seasons. However, Monty Don's timely lawn advice doesn't end with his mowing tips. 

'To get a 'good' lawn, you have to think positively,' Monty says. He urges you to pour your efforts into creating healthy grass – rather than focusing on 'perceived problems' such as daisies, moss, ants, and dandelions. 'Nine times out of ten if the grass is healthy, then everything else will look after itself,' he explains. 'The more you can do in March, the better the garden will be later in the year.'

Before mowing this month, Monty also recommends scarifying the lawn by giving it a good scratch with a wire rake. 'This will get at all the overwintering thatch and moss and let light and water get to the soil and to the roots of the grass,' he says.

We'll take up the expert's advice this month and continue to focus on forming  healthy lawn ideas into the summer. Because who can argue with Monty? 

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