Come winter, getting out in the garden isn’t likely to be high on your priority list, but it should be if you want to prepare it thoroughly for the cold months ahead. If you’re an experienced DIY gardener you’ll know this, but if you’re more of a novice and need some expert advice to help you this winter, you’ve come to the right place.
Following these winter lawn care tips will pay off massively come Spring as they make sure that your grass survives some pretty tough conditions as snow, frost and ice appear, leaving your lawn vibrant, green and ready to make your neighbours jealous. We recommend doing the following to keep your lawn in top condition over winter:
- Aerate frequently
- Mow to maintain, not cut
- Apply a winter fertiliser
- Remove any debris and leaves
- Restrict any foot traffic to prevent soil compaction
- Start preparing for new grass now
- Apply Ferrous Sulphate for an Iron boost
- Re-cut any lawn edging
- Prevent ‘Snow Mould’ as best you can
- Service your lawn mower
- Avoid building snowmen
- Hand remove any weeds
- Scarify to remove any thatch and moss
- Leave worm casts to dry out
Winter Lawn Care Advice to Protect Your Garden for Cold Weather
When the freezing temperatures arrive in the UK you need to protect your lawn. From December through to February your garden is going to be in full hibernation mode, but it still needs special care and attention to protect it from wet weather and ice cold conditions to ensure your lawn stays healthy.
Here’s our top tips to help your lawn across the course of the winter period.
Aerate Frequently to Prevent Pooling and Water-logging
Heavy winter rain will naturally provide swamp-like, wet conditions in your garden if it is not properly aerated and looked after. Using aeration techniques on your grass and lawn frequently through this period of the year will make sure that it drains properly to prevent any pooling and water-logging.
There are a couple of very easy ways you can do this. The most cost effective way is to use a standard gardening fork using these instructions:
- Make sure you’re wearing protective footwear and simply push the fork into the soil to a depth of around 10-15 cm or 4-6 inches.
- Start to gently rock the fork back and forth whilst still inserted in the soil to create small pockets that will encourage air, water and improved nutrient flows which will aid the root development.
- You can then repeat this process across your entire garden leaving around a 10-12 cm gap between holes.
Alternatively, you could use a specialist aerator instead. Not only is this great for drainage, but its key to preventing unwanted diseases growing due to the added moisture.
Adjust Your Mowing Height to Maintain & Not Cut Your Lawn in Winter
A lot of guidance online will say to stop cutting your grass completely. However, the grass will continue to grow despite the colder conditions, and because of this it may well still need the odd trim. We’d recommend adjusting your setting to its highest point or to around 5–6 cm. This is designed to maintain your grass, rather than cut it.
It goes without saying that you should only fire up the mower on dry days and avoid doing any maintenance cuts when it’s wet or damp. Maintaining at a higher setting will protect the grass from frost and prevent any unnecessary stress.
Apply a Winter Fertiliser to Feed the Grass
Winter fertilisers are rich in potassium, which strengthens roots and prepares grass for cold weather. Avoid high-nitrogen formulas that encourage blade growth, instead, what you want is a sturdy, resilient turf, not a jungle.
A winter fertiliser with low nitrogen but high levels of phosphate and potassium helps to strengthen grass roots and stiffen leaf blades, which is great preparation for winter. This ensures a healthier, stronger sward when growth resumes in the spring.
Remove Debris and Autumn’s Fallen Leaves
This may sound obvious, but it’s surprising how many people forget to do this next one. Empty your waste bin and collect up any obvious debris such as leaves. It’s important to do this as leaving them can lead to smothering your grass which then blocks the already reduced sunlight and encourages diseases.
Simply use your hands or a light rake to regularly pass over your garden and keep it debris-free. Any leaves you do round up and always be used to make your own compost which can then be repurposed later in the year. Of course, there is always the alternative option of installing artificial turf to reduce maintenance time.
Restrict Foot Traffic
Frost freezes the grass, which makes it very rigid – hence why we recommend restricting the amount of walking and traffic it gets. When stepped on, the cells rupture, which then causes damage to the blades and can leave visible footprints. These marks will then stay noticeable even after the frost has thawed out and can take months to fully recover.
You could consider laying stepping stones if you need to access specific areas frequently such as a shed or washing line, but be cautious as the additional weight of the stones could cause the same damage.
Start Preparation for a New Lawn in Spring
Thinking about re-turfing your space in the new year with fresh turf? Go and take advantage of the winter months to test your soils pH levels, level out any uneven and bumpy sections with a quality topsoil and start preparing the ground thoroughly.
Why?
Well, testing the pH levels will give you a good indication as to whether your soil is primed for good, healthy grass growth. If your soil’s pH levels are between 5.8 and 6.5 then this is generally a good environment for grass to thrive as it contains a balance of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. If the pH levels are less than 6.0 it could indicate that the soil is acidic – a good Lime treatment can help improve this. If it’s greater than 7.5 then you have what’s called Alkaline soil which can be treated with Sulphur, Aluminum Sulphate or Iron Sulphate.
Getting your soil in the right condition, as well as completing these essential groundworks will save you a hell of a lot of time in Spring.
Apply Ferrous Sulphate (Iron)
Prepare your lawn by applying Ferrous Sulphate. This is going to give you an advantage if your soil is predominantly Alkaline after you’ve completed pH testing. As well as this, it will help prepare your lawn for winter by controlling moss, strengthening the grass and will maintain a healthy green hue in terms of colour.
You can apply this as a spray application or in the form of granules. The decision, ultimately is down to personal preference – but both should be applied in dry conditions and you should always follow the manufacturer’s application instructions.
Other benefits of Ferrous Sulphate include:
- Enhanced protection for your lawn, ready for winter conditions
- Provides a boost in nutrients
- Reduces the amount of worm casts in the soil
- Better resistance against common winter weather diseases
Re-cut Lawn Edging and Add a Gutter
Nobody likes an ugly garden. Lawn edging is just one quick and fairly easy thing you can do to make sure it looks well managed. The wet grass is an ideal time to start re-cutting your edging as the softer soil makes it a lot easier to define clear borders which makes things a lot neater.
Another great tip for keeping your lawn healthy is to install a gutter. This is a great way to prevent excess pooling around flower beds, plant pots and other garden items.
Prevent ‘Snow Mould’ as Best You Can
You may have heard of the term ‘Snow Mould’, which is also known as Fusarium Patch. It’s a pretty common fungal disease that tends to show as brown patches on the lawn after a harsh winter period with a lot of snow.
The best way to tackle Snow Mould is to make sure that you allow your lawn to breathe and provide the drainage so that you don’t trap moisture once the snow melts away. Adding a gutter whilst you’re completing your edging is the perfect time to do this.
Other ways you can prevent the risk of fungal diseases include:
- Removing any debris
- Avoiding fertilisers that are excessively high in nitrogen
Service Your Lawn Mower
As a lawn care expert, completing some simple maintenance jobs on your equipment now will only benefit you and the lawn in the Spring. Late Autumn and Winter is the absolute perfect time to start showing your gardening tools some much needed TLC. Some of our favourite tips include:
- Sharpening the blades on your mower. This will help when it comes to cutting grass in the new year. It’ll prevent blunt blades from any damage and leave a healthier lawn in appearance.
- Change the oil on the mower if you use a fuel-powered machine.
- Replace any old spark plugs if you have them. It’ll make sure it’s easier to start, give a much better performance and use less fuel.
Avoid Building Snowmen on Grass (If It Snows)
Now this next piece of gardening advice may sound harsh, but if you’re a proud lawn-dad or mum, you’ll thank us for it. When the snow arrives, we all love getting out with the kids and making a snowman – but those solid lumps of snow and ice can have a terrible impact on the grass and once it’s melted away, it can take months to recover.
The additional weight of a snowman on the ground can lead to compacted soil which then makes it a lot more difficult for roots to develop and grow when needed. So when it comes to building a snowman, try to do so on a patio or driveway instead.
Hand Remove Lawn Weeds
Grass during the colder months will still encourage weeds unfortunately, although they won’t tend to grow as fast. To keep your lawn looking fantastic, use the damper soil as an opportunity to hand remove weeds that have invaded your garden.
Hand removal is the most effective method for this task as you have much more control, however, if the ground is too tough, it’s best to utilise a weeding tool to make your life as easy as possible.
Scarify the Lawn to Remove Thatch and Moss
If you’re thinking of reseeding your lawn in winter, make sure that you take the time to remove any thatch that may have built up by thoroughly scarifying. It’s one of the most overlooked gardening tips and taking the time to do it will give your lawn a fresh lease of life in the new year.
For those that don’t know, Thatch is a combination of dead grass, roots and weeds that form a layer on your grass, usually close to the soil. This thatch can often choke your lawn and keep your grass from getting the important nutrients and sunlight it needs. You can use a lawn scarifier to help remove thatch effortlessly, however, if you’re working with a bit of a budget or don’t have access to one, you can do just as good a job with a garden rake.
To scarify with a rake, just follow these instructions:
- Start by raking in one direction
- Apply a good amount of pressure, but avoid pulling up healthy grass
- Once the first pass is complete, start your second run by raking in a different direction
- Horizontal and vertical passes combined often provide the best results
- Gather the thatch and dispose of it in a compost bin or in your garden waste
Once you’ve removed the excess thatch, you may decide that a re-turfing is more desirable than seeding and nurturing a new lawn from scratch. If so, use a turf calculator to estimate how much you’d need.
Allow Any Worm Casts to Dry Out
Worm casts are extremely frustrating, but take them as a compliment as it’s usually a sign of healthy soil. Despite this back-handed compliment, worm casts have a nasty habit of smothering and blocking grass blades from growing.
Allow the casts to dry out completely. Then, using a firm garden brush or broom, just sweep them aside. It should be said, this process works best in dry conditions – doing so when the ground is damp or wet can become very messy and potentially damage your equipment.
