For many gardeners, a green and healthy lawn is something to be proud of, especially when spring arrives and the garden starts coming back to life. But winter can be tough on grass, with cold temperatures, rain, and lack of light often leaving lawns looking patchy, muddy or full of dead spots. The good news is that a few simple steps taken now could make all the difference once the warmer weather returns.
Experts say that December is the perfect time to prepare your lawn for the months ahead, and that small bits of maintenance during winter can lead to big improvements in spring. It doesn’t take much effort, and many of the jobs can be done in under an hour.
According to guidance from the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), there are three key things you can do to give your lawn a better chance of recovering from the cold.
The first is to remove any leaves that are still sitting on the grass. If left, they block out light and moisture, both of which are essential for healthy growth.
The RHS recommends raking them up gently to avoid damaging the grass underneath. This also helps reduce moss and fungal diseases.
The second tip is to keep mowing your lawn if the weather is mild.
Grass continues to grow when temperatures stay above 5C, so you can give it a trim if it looks untidy.
Just make sure to raise the cutting height slightly. The RHS says to aim for around 2-4cm, which is a few millimetres higher than you would in summer.
This keeps the grass strong without cutting it too short before a cold snap.
And the third thing to do is repair and tidy up any bare patches or edges. You can use turf from elsewhere in the garden or just neaten up the borders with a half-moon edging tool.
This not only makes your lawn look better now, but it also saves you a lot of work in spring.
The RHS also warns to keep an eye out for problems like waterlogging or algae.
If puddles form on your lawn, you can improve drainage by spiking the grass with a garden fork and brushing in sharp sand.
It’s also important to remember not to walk on frozen grass as this can cause long-lasting damage and leave brown marks behind.
For more winter lawn tips, click here.
Comments are closed.