Monty Don’s gardening mistake that could ruin your lawn

As spring bulbs finish flowering and wildflower meadows reach the end of their season, July is a key time to prepare the garden for cutting back. However, some small mistakes can influence next year’s results – and it’s one many may be making.

Monty Don, the British gardening expert and presenter of BBC Gardeners’ World, noted in a July blog post that although summer conditions encourage growth, grass clippings should always be collected and never left behind.

He also explained that spring-flowering bulbs need to have fully died back so long grass can be cut without harming their display the following year. He explained: “All Spring-flowering bulbs should have completely died back so that long grass can be cut without affecting their display next year.”

Speaking about Longmeadow, the two-acre private garden of the British broadcaster and writer, who presents BBC Gardeners’ World, added: “At Longmeadow, we often wait until August to do this because not all wild flowers have set seed, but by the end of July most wild flower meadows can be safely cut back.

“The important thing is to remove all the grass, raking up every last piece to compost so that it will not enrich the grass and thus limit next year’s wild flower display.”

Yes, although adding nutrients to the soil might seem beneficial, it can actually have the opposite effect. So after mowing your lawn, be sure to collect all the clippings and don’t leave any behind.

Don’t mow the grass when it’s wet

According to BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, you should only mow when the “grass and the soil beneath it is dry. Mowing when the ground is sodden can lead to compaction, the mower will smear and rut the soil, and wet grass clippings will clump and smother the lawn below.”

Posing the question “how often should I mow my lawn?”, it suggests: “Mow your lawn fortnightly in early spring and autumn, when the grass is growing more slowly, and weekly in the summer months. With climate change making winters milder, you may need to cut in winter, too.”

You can read more advice from Monty Don through his website here.