How to Care for Your Lawn in Winter

Before winter you need to be sure that there is no young growth on your grass as this may cause it to be susceptible to diseases and pests. To do this over time, decrease the cutting height of your lawn mower until you are almost grazing the lawn. Do this in steps over a few weeks as you do not want to abruptly take off all the leaf tissue or cause extra damage to the grass. You should not let the grass grow longer than 2 inches during the winter months.

Administer top dressing to your lawn in the late fall. Even though this will not be utilised by the lawn during the slow growth of the cold weather it will be saved in the roots and be immediately usable by the lawn in the Spring as new growth begins. Bare or brown areas can be reseeded in the Fall. The grass seeds will sprout in the colder weather.

Clear up any rubbish from the grass before the severest weather. This may include branches, logs, equipment, pots etc. If left on the lawn when it starts to snow they could cover the grass beneath the blanket of snow and cause damage which can make the lawn susceptible to diseases. During the cold season, although the grass will grow very slowly weeds will multiply rapidly so you need to often take out weeds to keep them from harming the turf.

As well you should still water the lawn through the cold weather, although less often than you would in the warmer weather. For most grass varieties watering each week should be plenty. Some grasses, e.g. rye grass, Kentucky Bluegrass and tall Fescue grow well in the colder weather and will need watering and fertilising during this season.

Should you have a watering system drain out all the water to avoid damage in icy weather. You don’t want to get it out the following Spring to find damaged pipes.

With care your lawn will survive the winter in excellent shape and emerge healthy and green when it starts to grow again in the Spring.  Winter lawn care is not hard if you follow our guidelines. You’ll find more information on lawn mowers and lawn care at lawn mower reviews.

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