How to care for your lawn in winter
Our Winter Lawn Care Guide
The nights draw in, the weather becomes colder and maintaining your grass should become slightly easier. Well, you’d hope so.
Our winter care guide shows you how to care for your lawn. And how a few simple steps can make the following years maintenance that little bit easier for you.
Does lawn grow in winter?
Winter is a quiet time for the lawn as it becomes dormant. If we have a mild winter, Grass will continue to grow in temperatures above 5°C (41°F) but usually, in the UK the temperature drops low enough to reduce/stop growth. During this period, it’s essential to keep off the lawn as much as possible. The grass plants are not actively growing and they will not repair themselves until the spring.
How to prepare the lawn for winter
Stop mowing your grass in winter
Only mow the lawn if necessary during warm spells when the lawn can spurt into sudden growth. And keep to an absolute minimum. If you’re expecting heavy frosts or if the ground is very wet – don’t mow.
At these times, this is a good opportunity to service your mower and sharpen the mower blades in readiness for the spring.
Seeding your lawn for winter
Depending upon the wear and tear which your lawn has received over the previous months you may want to over-seed the lawn in early autumn.
The seed will germinate ahead of winter and give a thicker, denser lawn the following season.
General Maintenance
A couple of general maintenance tips for your lawn during the winter is as follows:
- Clear any late leaves and debris using a light rake or stiff broom.
- Keep heavy machinery off the lawn as this will cause damage to the grass.
- Keep foot traffic to a minimum during periods of frost or very wet winter weather.
- Use a fork or spiking machine to improve air circulation in compacted soil and improve drainage. This process is called Aeration.
- Contact your local soft landscaping specialists (like us) to carry out the work for you. We’ll have your lawn looking spectacular for the warmer seasons. We offer services such as commercial grounds maintenance, tree planting and commercial tree surgery.
Late winter lawn care
How to keep your grass green in winter
Do not feed the grass over the winter months. It will speed the grass into premature growth that will not withstand the weather conditions.
In late winter and early spring, the lawn begins to grow it will require nutrients, which are essential to its growth. We recommend feeding your lawn using fertiliser every 6 weeks during the growing season.
How to treat moss in winter
Winter is a good time to treat moss. We would suggest an application of Sulphate of iron applied at a rate of 1kg dissolved in 10 litres of water, which would cover an area of approximately 30 – 40sq metres. Apply with a garden sprayer or watering can.
Repeat the dose a month later to increase the effectiveness. Scarifying the lawn will also help to remove moss. Sulphate of iron can be purchased from any reputable Garden Centre.