‘Risk ruining your grass’ says gardening expert as he urges Brits not to break rules and NOT cut their lawn this weekend

GARDENING gurus are advising homeowners to leave their lawns this weekend, despite the weather finally warming up.

Although the temperatures have been rising, many areas across the UK have experienced lots of rain recently - which has left the soil under the grass wet and soggy.

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But whilst this may not necessarily seem like a bad thing at first, according to experts, mowing wet grass could, in fact, have “disastrous consequences”, experts warned.

Chatting to the Express, James Lewis, an expert gardener from MyBuilder.com, explained how this could be a bad thing not just for the lawn, but the mower too.

“Don’t cut your lawn this weekend or risk ruining your grass.

“While regular cutting of your lawn is essential for its general health, mowing while wet is counterproductive.''

The whizz noted that when grass is wet, it doesn’t stand up straight and therefore you will find it impossible to get an even cut.

Instead, James warned, gardeners will end with a messy cut, or if the mower misses blades of grass altogether, you will be left with random patches all over the area.

“Worse still, these tears in the blade leave your lawn vulnerable to fungal infections, which thrive in wet conditions.''

As tempting as it may be to give your grass a cut, James urged fellow gardening enthusiasts to leave the lawnmower in the shed this weekend and wait for the dryer weather to arrive.

What do to if you're impatient

However, if you really cannot wait, James also came to rescue with a few methods that will lessen chances of a problem or a disastrous lawn.

This includes sharpening the mower blades to increase the chances of getting a clean and an even cut on the lawn.

Although this is important at all times of the year, having sharp mower blades is particularly essential when cutting wet grass.

Meanwhile, when it comes to cutting the grass, make sure to set the cutting blades as high as possible to help stop clogging the blades, he instructed.

The expert added that it's also advised to remove any water from your lawn, which can be done with a hosepipe by dragging it across the lawn in a squeegee effect.

Once you're done mowing, immediately clear up any clippings and move them off the lawn so it has a chance to get oxygen.

However, James urged to be extra cautious when using a rake if the ground is saturated with water and clippings, as this could pull up plants with soil underneath.

Other tasks to complete this March

Spring is a busy time for gardeners, so if you want to get your outdoor area ready for the arrival of Summer, there are a few things to do.

Pruning roses

One of them, experts recently shared, is pruning the roses.

“Cuts should be no more than 5mm above a bud and should slope downwards away from it so that water does not collect on the bud,” the gurus at RHS instructed.

“Cut to an outward-facing bud to encourage an open-centred shape. With roses of spreading habit, prune some stems to inward-facing buds to encourage more upright growth

“Cuts must be clean, so keep your secateurs sharp.

"For larger stems, use loppers or a pruning saw.

“Cut out dead and diseased stems and spindly and crossing stems, and aim for well-spaced stems that allow free air flow.”

Sow the veggies

Another task to complete this month is to plant shallots, onion sets and potatoes.

“Plant sets 2cm deep in drills or gently push them into loose soil, so the tip is just showing at the surface,” the experts instructed.

“Space them 5 to 10cm apart, in rows 25 to 30cm apart. 

“Firm the soil around them and water well. Birds will often peck newly planted sets out of the ground, so cover with fleece until they’ve rooted in.”