In winter you should ensure that there is no new growth on your grass as this may make it more likely to succumb to diseases and pests. To do this over time, decrease the cutting height of your lawn mower until you are just about grazing the grass. Undertake this in stages over the course of a few weeks as you do not want to suddenly take off all the leaf tissue or cause more damage to the turf. You do not want to leave the grass longer than two inches during the cold weather.
Apply top dressing to the grass in the late fall. Although this won’t be utilised by the lawn during the slow growth of the cold weather it will be stored in the roots and will be instantly available for use by the lawn in the Spring when new growth starts again. At this time you could reseed brown or bare areas. In the colder weather the seeds will germinate.
Clear up any rubbish from the lawn before the first snowfall. This may include branches, logs, children’s toys, flower pots etc. If left on the lawn when it begins to snow they could cover the grass under the blanket of snow and may cause damage which can make the grass susceptible to disease. During the colder weather, even though the grass grows very slowly weeds will multiply rapidly so you must often take out weeds to prevent them from causing damage to the lawn.
As well you need to water the lawn during the cold season, although less than you would during the warmer weather. For most grass species watering each week should be enough. Some types, for example tall Fescue, rye grass and Kentucky Bluegrass grow quickly in the colder weather and will need fertilising and watering at this season.
Should you have a watering system remove all the water to prevent damage when the temperature drops to below freezing. You don’t want to start it up in the Spring only to find leaking pipes.
With care your grass will survive the cold weather in the best shape and be healthy when it starts to grow again in the Spring. Winter lawn care is not difficult if you follow our guidelines. You’ll find more information on lawn care at lawn mower reviews.
