Gardeners have been told the exact date they should cut their lawn before spring - and it's coming up fast.

After a long, cold and wet winter, most of us probably haven't been out cutting the lawn very much and the grass probably hasn't grown much either in such terrible conditions.

But once a bit of late winter or early spring sunshine dares to make an appearance, that can all change very quickly.

That's why many gardeners will already be eyeing up their front or back garden lawns and wondering when they should make that all important first cut of the year.

According to gardening expert Monty Don, the best time is 'mid March', which would be March 16.

Monty Don said: "Cutting too early during the colder months can damage your lawn, as grass doesn't thrive in low temperatures. By mid-March, the weather in most parts of the UK has warmed enough to make mowing beneficial."

According to The Woodland Trust, the exact average date most gardeners in the UK have chosen for their first cut of the year in the past 25 years is March 19. Both of these dates land just before astronomical spring, which begins on March 20.

The Trust says in its guidance: "Grass is one of the earliest plants to grow in spring - it starts growing when soil temperature goes above 6C. It's one of the last to stop growing in winter too, so knowing if grass still needs mowing tells us a lot about the length of the growing season."

The Met Office has estimated that the growing season has increased by at least a month compared to 1961-90. In some areas, grass is growing all year round.

It says: "This is an important indicator of the effects of climate change. Regional differences are vast, but on average over 7% of our recorders don't stop cutting grass - they mow throughout winter."

And this is backed up by the RSPB which adds that the best thing to do is leave your lawn unmown once you complete your March cut.

It advises: "Mow your lawn once in late March or early April and then leave it until August or September before mowing once or twice until the end of the autumn growing season. This will mimic the old hay meadows and will suit flowers like Corn Marigold and Bird's-foot-trefoil. Letting your grass grow until late summer provides shelter and delights for your garden critters."