Gardening expert shares why 'starting too early' may ruin your outdoor space

Being too keen can be detrimental to your garden (Stock Image)

When the weather starts to show signs of warming up, it can be all too easy to rush out into the garden and start mowing, pruning, and planting – but an expert has warned that this could be what’s preventing your outdoor spaces from thriving.

Guy Barter, chief horticulturist at the Royal Horticultural Society, warned that if you start too early in the garden then you won’t see the best results from the work you’re doing. He explained that February, March, and sometimes even April seeds and plants are “sluggish” and therefore, you won’t see beautiful blooms if you’re pottering around at this time of year.

He suggested that green-fingered gardeners “wait until the lawn needs mowing every week and weeds appear before sowing and planting most of your plants. It is fun to chance some early sowing and planting, but there is not as much to gain as some think, and getting ready for mid to late spring is time better used.”

His advice is similar to experts at MyBuilder.com who warn that you should not mow wet grass, as it could have disastrous consequences. It’s recommended that the lawn should be dry for 10 days before mowing it, as otherwise, it can be “counterproductive” – and we’ve had a wet start to 2024 so far.

He said: “While regular cutting of your lawn is essential for its general health, mowing while wet is counterproductive. When grass is wet, it doesn’t stand up straight and therefore it’s impossible to get an even cut. You will end up with a messy cut, or the mower may miss blades of grass entirely, leaving you with patches of totally unmown lawn. Worse still, these tears in the blade leave your lawn vulnerable to fungal infections, which thrive in wet conditions.”

Problems that may occur due to mowing a wet lawn:

• Uneven cuts due to weight on the grass blade
• Damage to grass blade health due to tearing
• Vulnerability to fungal infections due to torn grass blades
• Lawn mower damage due to clumps of grass blocking mower blades
• Damage to yourself caused by slipping on wet ground or danger from electric mowers should damaged cords meet water

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