Looking After Your Lawn in Winter
During winter you should ensure that there is no new leaf growth on your lawn as this may make it more likely to succumb to diseases and pests. To do this gradually, decrease the height of the cutting blade of your lawnmower until you are practically shaving the lawn. Do this in stages over the course of a few weeks as you do not want to suddenly remove all the leaf tissue or inflict extra damage to the turf. You should not let the grass grow longer than 2 inches during the cold weather.
Apply top dressing to the lawn in the late fall. Although it will not be used by the lawn over the cold weather it will be stored in the roots and be instantly 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 rubbish from the lawn before the first snowfall. This may include branches, logs, children’s toys, pots etc. If not removed when it begins to snow they will smother the grass underneath the blanket of snow and may cause damage which can make the lawn vulnerable to disease. During the cold season, although the lawn grass grows more slowly weeds will thrive so you need to weekly take out weeds to keep them from harming the turf.
Also you need to water the lawn through the cold season, although less than you would during the warmer weather. For most grass varieties watering every week should be sufficient. Some species, such as rye grass, Kentucky Bluegrass and tall Fescue grow well in the colder weather and should benefit from watering and fertilising at this time.
Should you use a sprinkler system remove all the water to prevent damage when the temperature drops to below freezing. You do not want to get it out in the Spring only to find damaged pipes.
With care your grass will survive the cold weather in excellent shape and be healthy when it starts to grow again in the Spring. Winter lawn care is not difficult if you stick to our guidelines. You’ll find more information on lawn mowers and lawn care at lawn mower reviews.