Winter Lawn Care Advice

 

In a recent blog, Gardening For The New Year, I explained some of the winter lawn care tasks I have been doing in my tiny garden. However, if you take the time to read it, most of the things I did were things that should not really be carried out during the winter months, so, if you want to know what not to do please take a look.

One of the most important things to remember is that you should prepare your lawn in advance of winter rather than during the coldest season of the year. Grass either stops growing, or grows incredibly slowly, during the winter months so it is best to gradually reduce the height of your lawn. Winter lawn care is all about avoiding risk and long grass and fresh shoots are easily damaged by the strong winter winds. Shorter grass is more able to withstand the pressures of winter.

The lawn care product shown above is really a special mix of fertilizers which has been especially formulated for using on a lawn in late fall. The fertilizer will be stored by the grass in the roots ready for the first flush of growth in the spring. Without such fertilizers the lawn will be more easily damaged and less able to recover quickly come spring.

Winter lawn care should be carried out carefully. Avoid using the lawn too much, do not walk on it unnecessarily as the ground will be soft and wet and will easily become compacted. Winter is the time to remove thatch and aerate the ground.

Scarifying the lawn (removing thatch) and aeration will be looked at in much greater detail in later articles but, for now, all you really need to know is that winter is the time to do it. Scarify with a wire rake carefully but judiciously and, if you do not have an aeration tool, simply plunge a garden fork into your lawn, at regular intervals, and jiggle it a little backwards and forwards leaving a small hole. If you are adding a topdressing these holes will be filled with your sandy mixture and therefore the air will travel more freely to the roots of the grass where it is needed most.

Many people assume that there is little to do in the garden during winter but winter lawn care is one of the most important tasks of the year as the lawn is easily damaged without it. At all times you need to ensure that your lawn is free from debris and other rubbish and, therefore, you will need to keep a constant eye on your lawn until spring.

 

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