ACTIONPLAN

Athis is important where grass is planted with naturalised bulbs — especially little ones such as crocuses or snowdrops.

Cutting now should leave you with a short, even sward. If the weather turns seasonably colder, your grass should stay reasonably short until next march. that will enable late winter bulbs to show up beautifully.

If your grass has become undesirably long and is reluctant to dry, wait for a sunny, breezy day. then make your first cut with mower blades set high. If necessary, rake up the mowings. Follow with a second, shorter cut, preferably running at right angles to the previous one.

Depending on the weather, fine lawns may need more regular cutting for a little while longer.

try not to mow when sharp frost is forecast, especially for the night after cutting. And never shave your lawn too closely this late in the year. Short grass can encourage moss infestation.

It’s still not too late to repair damaged lawn edges or re-turf small worn areas. Choose mild weather for that. make sure the ground is not saturated or waterlogged and don’t feed your lawn now — it’s too late for the grass to take up the nutrients. utumn has been mild and plants are still growing. If you have rough grass anywhere, perhaps among fruit trees or in a wild part of your garden, it may need a final pre-winter cut.