How to Look After Your Lawn When Winter Arrives

It feels as if we have barely had a summer this year so when it comes to thinking about winter lawn care it seems as if we are always preparing for the cold months rather than the warm ones!

Grass barely grows throughout the winter months so you don’t need to be constantly mowing your lawn, the best approach is to let your lawn rest as much as possible during winter so you can have a lush lawn come spring/summer time. It is advised to keep off wet or frosty grass otherwise you will damage your lawn, the grass will not be able to repair it’s self until the spring if it is impaired throughout the winter.

Mowing

As discussed previously, it is not necessary to continuously mow your lawn as the growth rate will rapidly slow. Depending on the weather conditions and temperatures your grass will either continue to grow or not, if it looks like it needs a trim then mow if necessary. However, never mow your grass if heavy frosts are predicted to follow shortly or if the ground is very wet.

Make sure that your mower is kept in good condition whilst you are not using it as you will need it when spring arrives. Always make sure that the blades are in good condition as this is the major service requirement for a mower.

Leaves and Debris

Over time your lawn will become untidy due to leaves and debris, the use of a light rake or brush will rid your lawn of all free leaves and debris. Try not to use too much force or heavy machinery on your lawn as this will create damage.

Aeration

Consolidated areas of your lawn will need aerating, this can be done by a fork or a spiking machine. Aeration is the process of creating little holes in your soil to relieve compaction, improve drainage and allow more air into the roots which will result in a healthier lawn.

Worms

Don’t be put off by having worms wiggling around your garden, worms actually improve the nutrient content of soil and are beneficial to the soil structure. Worm casts can be brushed or swept away with a stiff brush when dry.

Even though it seems you don’t have to do much to keep your lawn in good condition throughout winter, it is essential that you keep doing these things to look after it so you can have a healthy lawn in spring. For more information on gardening tips and products check out our website World of Mowers.

Care Of The Winter Lawn

As we are moving rapidly into the winter season, some of you may be wondering what you should do with your lawn, if anything at all, to have it looking good for the summer months.
Well with the colder spells it is fair to say that there will be less growth in the garden, however, there are still jobs that can be done.

-Go into winter with short grass. Try starting at the end of the fall and the very beginning of winter. Try cutting the grass gradually shorter to curb extra growth at the beginning of the season. The growth will use up nutrients which will dry out the root of the grass, which ultimately may mean dead grass come the spring.

-It is worth checking your lawn for Snow Mould or Fusarium Nivale which occurs at temperatures between 0 degrees C and 8 degrees C.
Fusarium disease starts as a small yellowing patch which turn brown as the patches enlarge. Sometimes - in damp weather - a white or pinkish mould can be seen in the patches. It normally subsides a little as the air temperature warms up and lawns dry out a little. To try to avoid snow mould you should try to avoid high nitrogen fertilisers as too much growth in the winter months and snow are a bad combination. A heavy Potash fertiliser applied in Autumn or a liquid tomato feed.
If you are finding Snow Mould then using Carbendazim, which is a lawn fungicide to treat the mould is a good idea.

-Try spiking a lawn regularly throughout the year to help with drainage.

-It is worth weeding your grass in the winter. As the grass is not growing rapidly in the winter, weeds can take advantage of this and start to kill the grass. Try using a herbicide to kill the weeds before they grow or wait until thyey grow and then use a weed killer.

-Try to maintain the upkeep the garden by moving any fallen leaves, debris and seasonal yard decorations from the yard. If snow falls on these items, it creates an air-tight blanket that smothers your garden and does major damage to the blades of grass and the lawn.

-Try to stay off of the lawn when it snows.

-Very importantly, try to look after your gardening equipment. A lawnmower can be disassembled and then oiled before re-assembly. If you do use an electric mower then make sure that it is cleaned and kept in a place where damp or wet conditions will not create rust.

-Other garden tools such as rakes, spades, hoes etc should also be cleaned and again kept in a place where damp or wet conditions can not seek to cause rust and hence when it is time to re-use the equipment they are in a good condition and are ready to be used.

These are just some basic tips that you can follow to try to get your lawn looking it’s best for next season.

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