Leave it be, and keep off it

Nothing is growing. The ground is cold and often sodden, and the kindest thing you can do for a Moray lawn in January is stay off it.

• Lawn CareAll levels

  No treatment due. A wet January shows exactly where water sits and where moss is winning, and that is what shapes the spring work.

• MowingMowing Package

  Season over. Cuts start again in March.

• Garden CareAll levels

  A monthly winter visit: structural pruning of shrubs, clearing beds and the groundwork that gets the garden ahead of spring rather than starting from scratch.

• Hedges & treesTree pruning

  Prime time for pruning apples, pears and garden trees while they are bare. Overgrown beech and hawthorn hedges are reduced now, in stages. Plums and cherries wait for summer.

• Other servicesClear-downs

  Winter clear-downs for a garden that has got away from you, cut back and cleared while growth has stopped.

Next up in February: the last of the winter pruning, and moss shows its hand.

The month moss shows its hand

Still too cold for real growth, but the winter damage is now obvious. Moss is at its greenest, shaded corners look thin and any spot that holds water is showing it.

• Lawn CareAll levels

  In some gardens, iron and the early spring feed start to go on now. How much moss there is to lift becomes clear, ahead of the spring scarify on Premium lawns.

• MowingMowing Package

  Not yet. Wait for the grass to start moving.

• Garden CareAll levels

  Winter visit: roses cut back late in the month, deciduous shrubs pruned and beds prepared for spring.

• Hedges & treesHedge care · Tree pruning

  Last chance to cut hawthorn and mixed native hedges before nesting starts in early March, once the birds have had the berries. Apple and pear pruning finishes by early March.

• Other servicesClear-downs

  Clear-downs continue while growth is stopped, so a programme can take over in spring.

Why moss wins here: shade, damp, compaction and thin grass. Clearing it is the easy bit. Changing those conditions is what stops it coming straight back.

Next up in March: the first cut, high and gentle, and the mowing season starts.

The first cut, high and gentle

Growth starts when the soil warms, and on the Moray coast that usually means late in the month rather than early. The first cut is a tidy, not a haircut.

• Lawn CareAll levels

  The first spring scarifying and aeration visits begin, along with the early spring feeds and iron applications, knocking back the moss and making a real difference.

• MowingMowing Package

  The 20-cut season begins with a single cut in March while growth is slow, on the highest setting, with the edges trimmed, the grooves remade and everything blown clear.

• Garden CareAll levels

  Fortnightly visits begin: edging beds, first weeding, cutting back last year's growth and tying in.

• Hedges & treesHedge care

  Nesting season starts in early March, so routine hedge trimming stops until June or July unless a hedge has been checked and is clear. Overgrown evergreens wait for late spring or summer.

• Other servicesHard-Standing Weed Control · Driveway cleaning

  Weed control on paths, patios and drives starts as the first weeds germinate (included in the Standard and Premium Garden Programmes). Driveway and patio cleaning in a dry spell, before the garden comes back into use.

Moray note: lawn calendars written for the south of England run early for us. Wait for the grass to grow before you ask anything of it.

Next up in April: the spring feed, in the month it does the most good.

The spring feed earns its keep

Growth is properly away. Feed strong grass now and it thickens and crowds out weeds and moss by itself, which is cheaper and better looking than fighting them in June.

• Lawn CareAll levels · Spring scarify on Premium

  First feed, weed and condition treatment of the year on all levels: an organic-based granular feed with selective weed control, applied by NPTC-certified staff. Premium lawns also get their spring scarify and aeration.

• MowingMowing Package

  Moving towards weekly as growth speeds up, with the height still generous.

• Garden CareAll levels

  Fortnightly visits: planting, weeding, dividing perennials, tying in climbers and a first proper tidy of the borders.

• Hedges & treesHedge care · Tree pruning

  Nesting season: no routine trimming. Overgrown evergreens such as privet and laurel are renovated in late spring, once a hedge has been checked and is clear. Leylandii will not regrow from old wood, so an overgrown one is reduced in height by no more than a third rather than cut back hard.

• Other servicesBark mulching

  Bark mulching in mid to late spring, spread over weeded, moist beds so it holds water through the dry weeks ahead.

What thatch means: the spongy layer of dead grass between the green blades and the soil. A little is normal. Too much keeps the surface wet and gives moss somewhere to live.

Next up in May: peak growth, and the best month for overseeding.

Peak growth, and the best month for repairs

The strongest growth of the year: warm soil, long daylight and usually enough moisture. Anything sown or repaired now recovers fast, and a missed cut shows.

• Lawn CareOverseeding and top dressing · Drought Assist on Premium

  Scarifying tails off this month, depending on conditions, and overseeding and top dressing with an organic soil conditioner, which suits Moray's sandy soils, gets into its stride. Lawn conditioners change over to liquid copper as a disease preventative, and the Drought Assist programme begins on Premium lawns.

• MowingMowing Package

  Weekly cuts through the peak months, bringing the height down a notch at a time.

• Garden CareWeekly on Premium

  Premium Garden Programme gardens move to weekly visits for May and June; Standard stays fortnightly. Bedding, staking and the first flush of weeds.

• Hedges & treesHedge care

  Hedges are left alone. Cutting one with an active nest in it is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

• Other servicesHard-Standing Weed Control · Lawn rebuilds

  Weed control on paths, patios and driveways continues through the season on the Garden Programmes. Lawn rebuilds can begin this month.

Next up in June: the feeds continue, and the first dry spell.

Hold the height, watch the moisture

Long daylight keeps the grass moving, but late spring and early summer is normally the driest part of the year here, and a dry spell catches the thin, sandy ground along the coast first.

• Lawn CareAll levels · Drought Assist on Premium

  Continuing feed, weed and condition treatments on all levels, with the Drought Assist programme kicking in, helping the lawn hold water through dry spells.

• MowingMowing Package

  Weekly, with the height raised if the weather turns dry. Longer grass shades its own roots.

• Garden CareWeekly on Premium

  Weekly on Premium, fortnightly on Standard: deadheading, watering new plantings and staying ahead of the weeds.

• Hedges & treesHedge care

  Still nesting season. Fast growers such as privet and leylandii are trimmed only where a hedge has been checked and is clear.

• Other servicesQuiet month

  Nothing extra is due. Lawn rebuilds wait for autumn, depending on the weathe.

Moray note: the coast here is one of the driest and sunniest parts of Scotland, with roughly 700 mm of rain a year against 1,700 mm or more in the west, and the sandy soils along the Moray coast drain fast. Lawn care set for the wet west would be wrong for here.

Next up in July: maintain, do not renovate.

Keep it ticking over, do not push it

High summer is for maintaining, not renovating. A lawn under heat and drought stress does not want scarifying, heavy feeding or a close cut.

• Lawn CareDrought Assist on Premium

  Lawn feeding is adjusted to the weather and conditions. On Premium lawns the Drought Assist programme is doing its work, helping to keep the moisture in the lawn.

• MowingMowing Package

  Cuts at a raised height. If the grass has gone brown and stopped growing, cutting pauses until it starts again, and the time is used to re-establish the grooves and edges.

• Garden CareAll levels

  Fortnightly visits on all levels: deadheading, summer pruning of early-flowering shrubs, watering and weeding.

• Hedges & treesHedge care · Tree pruning

  Nesting season is coming to an end, so a well-checked hedge can be trimmed if the weather is not too hot. Midsummer is the right time to prune established plums and cherries, which must never be cut in winter.

• Other servicesPlanning · Patio cleaning

  Quiet month. September is the busiest few weeks of the lawn year, so autumn extras such as leatherjacket control are best agreed now. Paths and patios can be pressure washed.

Next up in August: the late-summer feed, and planning for the big month.

Get ready for the big month

Growth eases and the nights draw in. Whatever the lawn needs putting right, plan it now, because autumn work starts earlier in the north than most people expect.

• Lawn CareAll levels

  Third or fourth feed, weed and condition treatment on all levels, with weeds treated while they are still growing. A pink tinge in the grass after a wet summer is red thread, which is treated with liquid copper, a gentle way to control the disease, along with additional nitrogen. Drought Assist winds down.

• MowingMowing Package

  Fortnightly as growth slows, with the height maintained.

• Garden CareAll levels

  Fortnightly visits: late-summer cutting back, and hedges brought back into shape as soon as nesting is over.

• Hedges & treesHedge care

  Nesting season ends in early August. Beech and hornbeam get their one late-summer cut so they hold their copper leaves through winter.

• Other servicesLeatherjacket control · Lawn rebuilds

  Crane flies are laying their eggs in lawns now, so leatherjacket control is booked in for September. Lawn rebuilds are planned for later in the autumn.

Next up in September: the most important month of the lawn year.

The month that decides next summer

The soil is still warm, moisture is back and the grass has enough growing time left to heal. In Scotland the autumn lawn work starts now, not in October.

• Lawn CareAll levels

  The renovation visit on all levels: scarifying to lift thatch and moss, then hollow-tine aeration to open compacted ground, with the cores cleared and the lawn left tidy. It looks knocked back a bit before it begins to look better. That is normal.

• MowingMowing Package

  Growth returns with the rain. Cuts continue with the height kept high while the lawn recovers.

• Garden CareAll levels

  Fortnightly visits: the autumn tidy, spring bulbs planted and borders cut back where needed.

• Hedges & treesHedge care

  The main trimming window. Nesting is over and growth is slowing, so a cut now holds its shape through winter. Yew takes its autumn cut, and privet, box and laurel get a last light tidy.

• Other servicesLeatherjacket control · Lawn rebuilds

  Leatherjacket control while the soil is still warm, September to early October. Lawn rebuilds by seed or turf begin.

Moray note: the RHS tells gardeners in Scotland and northern England to start autumn lawn care in September. Leave it until late October up here and the grass has stopped growing before it can recover.

Next up in October: the autumn feed, and leaves off the grass.

Last chance, and leaves off

Early October still counts as renovation season if the weather holds, but the door is closing. The priority shifts to leaves and setting the lawn up for winter.

• Lawn CareAll levels

  The autumn feed: low in nitrogen and higher in potassium, hardening the grass for winter rather than pushing growth. Any hollow tining still outstanding is finished early in the month.

• MowingMowing Package

  Final cuts of the season at a higher setting as growth slows. The Mowing Package runs March to October.

• Garden CareAll levels

  Last fortnightly visits of the season: leaves cleared, tender plants protected, beds put to bed. The monthly winter cycle starts next month.

• Hedges & treesHedge care

  Hedge trimming finishes and holds until spring. Tree pruning starts once the leaves come down.

• Other servicesLeatherjacket control · Bark mulching · Driveway cleaning

  Leatherjacket control finishes in early October. Bark mulching in autumn, and driveway and patio cleaning with a protective treatment before the winter damp greens the shady side.

Next up in November: tidy up, and the winter garden visits begin.

Tidy up and step back

Growth has all but stopped. Grass only grows above about 7°C, so a mild spell might bring one last light cut, but mostly this is clearing, pruning and putting things away.

• Lawn CareAll levels · Pre-winter feed on Premium

  Treatments are done for the year, except for the final pre-winter feed on Premium lawns. No lawn work goes ahead on waterlogged ground.

• MowingMowing Package

  Season over. An occasional light cut only if a mild spell keeps the grass moving.

• Garden CareAll levels

  Monthly winter visits begin on all levels: leaf clearing, structural pruning of deciduous shrubs, cutting back and bed preparation.

• Hedges & treesTree pruning · Hedge care

  Tree pruning season opens as the leaves fall: apples, pears and garden trees, taking no more than 10 to 20 per cent of the canopy in a winter. Hawthorn and native hedges wait for late winter so the birds get the berries.

• Other servicesClear-downs

  Winter clear-downs begin: overgrown shrubs cut back, beds cleared, hedges reduced, leaves and debris removed.

Next up in December: rest, prune and plan.

Rest, prune and plan

The lawn is asleep and the garden's structure is easy to read. Nothing is applied to grass this month; the work is in the beds, hedges and trees.

• Lawn CareAll levels

  Nothing due. What the lawn needs now is to be left alone, and for water not to sit on it.

• MowingMowing Package

  Off until March.

• Garden CareAll levels

  Monthly winter visit: pruning, tidying and preparing the garden for spring.

• Hedges & treesTree pruning · Hedge care

  Winter pruning of apples, pears and ornamental trees continues. Overgrown beech and hawthorn hedges are reduced in midwinter, staged over two or three years so they stay green.

• Other servicesClear-downs

  Clear-downs continue. A good month to plan the year ahead while the shape of the garden is clear.

Next up in January: keep off the grass, and the winter pruning goes on.