Year-round lawn maintenance helps keep your grass healthy and your lawn looking great, even during the winter months.

When spring arrives, your grass should be ready to put on its 'summer coat' even sooner, giving you a lush, weed-free lawn to play with the pets and kids, entertain guests or just sit in the sun.

Here are a few tips to help you maintain a lawn all year round, without causing any damage to the delicate shoots of green grass.

1. Kill the weeds

When: April to September

Killing weeds is not easy, as you need to completely destroy the root structure to prevent them from coming back.

Don't spend hours on your hands and knees trying to dig them up without damaging your lawn - use a fast-acting weedkiller like Resolva Weedkiller 24H Action to kill the weed and its roots in a day.

You can see the results just 24 hours later, so if you're short of time, an overnight weedkiller is a worthy investment to get your lawn up to scratch sooner.

2. Feed the grass

When: April to September

Use a multi-action lawn feed like EverGreen 4 in 1 Complete to kill weeds, kill moss, improve the green colour of the grass, and help it to grow thicker and stronger.

EverGreen Complete 4 in 1 comes as granules you just sprinkle on the grass. Within a week, moss should turn brown and grass turn greener, leafy weeds will die off soon after that, and the lawn as a whole should look more vibrant in about six weeks.

3. Scarify the lawn

When: April or September/October

Scarifying a lawn removes the 'thatch' of dead grass shoots, moss and weeds that clogs up the base of the healthy grass and can eventually choke the root system beneath.

However, scarifying puts stress on the healthy grass growth, so should only be done when grass is growing strongly - ideally in late spring or early autumn when the soil is not too dry.

'Little and often' is a good approach here too, so make moderate scarifying part of your annual lawn care routine, rather than doing it intensively once every 2-3 years.

4. Mow the lawn

When: All year round (fair weather)

You can see when your lawn needs mowing, as the grass grows a little longer than you'd like and perhaps becomes a bit unruly around the edges.

However, you can also mow the lawn in winter if you think it needs a touch-up - you just need to be a bit more careful. Set your blade height a little longer, as the lawn needs more length in its green shoots to soak up the weaker winter sunlight, and never mow a wet or frosty lawn.

5. Consider artificial turf

When: All year round

It's not for everyone but if you want minimal maintenance, artificial turf is a great alternative to natural grass for a greener, thicker lawn.

Brands like Easigrass, available at Bents Garden Centre in Glazebury, blend multiple green tones for a natural appearance and can be laid easily at any time of year.

Artificial grass is safe for children and pets to play on, and the thick pile height means you get that cushioned feeling under foot that you'd expect from healthy natural grass.