In winter you need to ensure that there is no new growth on your lawn as this may cause it to be susceptible to pests and diseases. To do this gradually, lower the height of the cutting blade of your lawnmower until you are almost shaving the grass. Do this in stages over the course of a few weeks as you don’t want to suddenly take off all the leaf tissue or cause extra damage to the turf. You do not want to let the grass grow above 2 inches during the winter months.
Apply fertiliser to the lawn in the late fall. Although it won’t be utilised by the grass during the slow growth of the winter it will be reserved in the roots and will be immediately usable by the grass in the Spring as new growth starts again. Bare or brown areas can be reseeded in the Fall. During the colder weather the grass seeds will germinate.
Remove any debris from the grass before the severest weather. This may include leaves, logs, children’s toys, pots etc. If left on the lawn when it starts to snow they will smother the grass beneath the blanket of snow and may cause damage which can make the lawn susceptible to disease. During the winter, although the grass will grow not as fast weeds will grow faster so you must regularly pull out weeds to prevent them from causing damage to the lawn.
As well you need to water the lawn during the cold weather, although less often than you would during the Summer. For most grass species watering each week should be enough. Some grasses, e.g. tall Fescue, rye grass and Kentucky Bluegrass grow quickly in the winter and should benefit from watering and fertilising at this season.
If you use a sprinkler system empty out all the water to stop damage during a frost. You do not want to use it the following Spring only to find damaged pipes.
With some care your lawn will get through the winter in excellent shape and be healthy and green when it starts to grow again in the Spring. Winter lawn care is easy if you stick to our guidelines. You’ll find more information on lawn care and lawn mowers at lawn mower reviews.
Tags: care for your lawn, lawn care, lawn grasses, winter lawn care