Gardeners' World icon Monty Don has urged people to avoid overdoing one key task over the next few months. In an October blog post, the gardening expert said it's 'best to let it grow and avoid touching it'.
Advice on Grass Cutting
Under the "grass" section, he writes: "Keep cutting the grass for as long as it keeps growing; however, it is better to have the grass too long than too short over the winter months. Rake out thatch and moss and add to the compost heap."
In similar gardening advice, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) notes that people with a garden should mow only when necessary, especially at the end of the year. It explains: "Mow if necessary during mild weather, as grass continues to grow in temperatures above 7C, on a slightly higher cutting height than in summer. Mowing will also help to reduce the vigour of annual weeds that have sprung up in lawns sown earlier in the autumn."
Scarifying and Composting
The charity, like Monty, urges people to add thatch and moss to a compost heap. To do this, it explains it involves "raking (or scarifying) the lawn to remove thatch (old grass clippings, moss and other debris) from the soil surface."
It adds: "Removing thatch helps the lawn to cope with drought, as water is better able to get down into the soil. Thatch can also reduce air circulation between the grass plants, which can lead to fungal problems. As a guide, if you can’t see the soil between the blades of grass, then your lawn would benefit from scarifying."
Follow these steps:
- Rake your lawn vigorously with a spring-tined rake, aiming to reduce loose debris without uprooting the grass
- Work first in one direction, then the other, so you remove as much thatch as possible
- For larger lawns, consider hiring or buying a powered scarifier or scarifying mower attachment – or just rake a small section each autumn
- Remove all the raked-out thatch and add it to your compost heap
- Your lawn may look a bit patchy and rough afterwards, but don’t worry, it will soon recover and in the longer term will look and grow better as a result
Monty Don Steps Down from Gardeners' World
After more than 20 years as BBC Gardeners’ World’s longest-serving Head Gardener, Monty Don will step down at the end of the current series. Since joining the programme in 2003, Monty has inspired and supported millions of viewers with his warmth, insight and enthusiasm for gardening.
From 2011, he began welcoming audiences into his own Herefordshire garden, Longmeadow, sharing the everyday pleasures and challenges of gardening and offering practical seasonal advice — often accompanied by his much-loved dogs at his side. He isn’t stepping away from TV entirely, as he’s currently working on a forthcoming BBC travel series called Island Gardens.
Speaking about his decision, Monty said: "I have decided that the current series of Gardeners’ World is to be my last. I began hosting the programme 23 years ago, first at Berryfields and for the past 16 years here in my own garden, Longmeadow. Throughout that time - and around seven hundred programmes - I have had the privilege of sharing my own abiding passion for gardens and gardening with an equally passionate, and often equally knowledgeable audience."
"That connection with millions, not just in Britain but across the world, who share a love of gardens, plants and the natural world is something I have always treasured and which I increasingly believe to be at the heart of a life well lived. I have also always relished the craft of programme making and to do so, week in week out, as part of a superlative BBC team has been a deeply rewarding experience. But now is the right time for a change."
"I look forward to continuing to work with and for the BBC on other projects, as well as following new avenues. There are more books to write, more programmes to make. And of course, I will still be gardening, dog by side, here at Longmeadow."
