Garden Q&A: What time of year is best to scarify my lawn? 

Whether you're a gardening beginner or expert, Irish Examiner columnist Peter Dowdall has the answer to your questions

You'll be amazed at how much debris will need to be removed after scarifying and there's more than a bit of work involved but your lawn will thank you for the effort. Picture: iStock

Is it too early to scarify my lawn? I was reading about it and think it may help with my lawn, which is filled with moss and weeds.

ANSWER

Yes, scarifying will help as it improves growing conditions around the soil and root zone. 

Scarifying is essentially the same as giving the entire lawn a good hard rake, cutting into the top few centimetres of the soil. 

It removes thatch and moss and will allow more air to circulate around the base of the lawn, thus improving conditions for good grass growth whilst at the same time physically removing a lot of the moss and creating conditions where it is less likely to regrow.

All that being said, the end of January is still a bit too early but I admire your enthusiasm. Better to do this task in March when the lawn will recover far more quickly.

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