5(+1) Vital Winter Lawn Care Tasks - Act Now!
Winter doesn't require the level of lawn care of other times of the year. The same goes for our lawn care services - you won't find us scarifying, aerating and overseeding now! However, there are a a number of lawn care tasks which if completed as they should be at this time of year will propel your lawn forward as fast as possible come the spring.
Do you want to get a head start on next year or will you be letting your grass suffer this winter?
1. If your lawn is frozen or soft, keep off
I know... in one breath I'm telling you to do something to your lawn, in another I'm not!
Creating a beautiful lawn or providing outstanding lawn care services (I believe) is largely about timing. Do the right thing in the right conditions and the lawn improves. The wrong thing in the wrong conditions and the lawn will head backwards.
When the water in grass freezes and expands, the grass gets damaged when people walk or work on it.
When you walk on or work on a wet lawn, the soil gets compacted, making it harder for grass roots to get enough air in the spring. Clay soils, in particular, should be aerated annually as a good maintenance practice.
Ultimately, pick your conditions wisely to work on the lawn. At the same time, this is not a reason to do nothing because there was dew on the lawn and it rained for 5 minutes yesterday!
A rear lawn near Stratford with a solid frost covering due to low overnight temperatures - not suitable for any winter lawn services!
2. Clear up remaining leaves, debris and winter junk
Right now, our lawns have precious limited daylight hours to produce the food grass requires to survive. With this considered, your lawn still needs your help.
This winter you can protect your lawn be giving it as much light as possible by:
- Reducing shade from trees hedges now, prior to bird nesting season
- Frequently clearing leaves and debris from the lawn
- Taking furniture and toys off the lawn and putting them away for the winter
As a lawn care service, we see lawns in early-spring every year that are highly damaged and are in need of 100% preventable repair and renovation work due to this point. You could say that I shouldn't moan and should keep this one to myself as it creates us work but we're all about working in partnership with our customers!
Not frequently clearing leaves is a grave lawn care error that many homeowners make. Yes they are a pain, and it's wet, and they keep falling (we've heard it all!) but it works - honestly!
The first image on the left is one where leaves have been left to sit across the winter period, thinning and killing areas of the lawn. Aerating and overseeding is now going to be required in the spring due to this which was completely preventable!
The second image on the left is the rear lawn of the man who took the first image - Stan! This is how his back lawn enters a winter period with this photo from mid-November.
3. Mowing - raise your height of cut
Mowing your lawn might not be high on your list across the winter, however as we discussed as a technician team when frozen-off this week, there is now no such thing as the mowing 'season'.
It is important that you are always prepared to give your lawn a trim on a high setting no matter the month of the year. Our seasons have been far more unpredictable in recent years, with autumn conditions extending into January, snow in November, 18c in February, and who can forget the 'Beast from the East'!
Our lawns grow when the soil temperature is above 5c. If the daily maximum temperature is consistently in the double digits, your lawn will need to be trimmed at a height of 30-50mm regardless of what the calendar says.
When spring arrives, you will find your lawn is in better shape than the one next door.
Cut your lawn on a dry afternoon, ideally after giving the lawn a brush for worm casts and clearing away any winter debris as above. Be sure to give your mower a clean afterwards as the grass will be damp at best - it is winter in the UK after all!
4. Check for fusarium disease
Fusarium, sometimes known as 'Fuzz' or Snow Mould which can typically kill the affected patches of grass. Mild and damp conditions are required, and the disease often attacks finer grasses.
If you have Fusarium in your lawn, we recommend contacting us for assistance.
This disease can transfer between lawns (it's contagious for grass!) So be aware of this if you are going onto your lawn.
Fusarium used to be rare in lawns and a disease more commonly found on golf and bowling greens. However, as our climate changes we are now picking up frost-free spells of autumn weather in winter which this disease thrives on.
In lawns, we find that finer grasses that have been allowed to grow too long are more susceptible to harbour the disease.
5. Apply a moss treatment
Throughout the autumn, winter, and spring seasons, your lawn will require more than one moss control treatment. Within our lawn care services we apply three moss treatments between October and April. Even if there is limited moss in a lawn, the colour and health that our liquid treatments bring during this shorter days is vital to bring a lawn through winter with success.
As above, do you want your lawn to gain a head start on spring, or will you be letting it suffer?
Moss is abundant in UK lawns due to our mild and damp climate. Lawns which:- Are on clay soils
- Are smaller lawns with lots of shade
- And with it poor air movement due to the proximity of buildings
Are prime candidates for struggling with moss - often not factors that are an issue on the wider spaces of a golf course or larger sports pitch!
Book now to ensure your do not miss out on your winter lawn care service visit.
BONUS POINT - Do it yourself or schedule servicing for your mower
It won't protect your lawn "this winter," but it will take care of your machinery. Many diseases and changes in the colour of lawns are caused by or made worse by dull blades on rotary mowers.
Make sure the blade stays sharp and that the air and fuel filters get the care they need. Before putting your machine away for the winter, use a fuel stabiliser.
If you need to take your mower to a shop for repairs, you should think about it now instead of waiting until spring to avoid a long wait when your grass is growing quicker!
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2) Click and drop the pin on your house
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