Winter Lawn Care & Maintenance: December, January & February

When Should I Start My Winter Jobs?

Typically, in December, as this marks the beginning of winter.

But you may have already been working on the tasks this time of year requires. For instance, clearing leaves from your garden in October and November when they first began to fall.

For the most part during these colder months, it’s about letting your lawn rest while doing small jobs as needed – unless something unexpected happens with our unpredictable weather patterns that create a need for more attention like increased raking or mowing.

Learn more: How to Cut Your Lawn Properly.

Lawn Care Jobs for Winter

Maintaining your lawn through winter isn’t very intensive.

Here’s what you need to do to keep it healthy:

Rest Your Lawn

Avoid walking on your lawn when it’s frosty. Walking on the ground can damage your grass and make it vulnerable to diseases like Fusarium Patch or Snow Mold.

If there is snow around, build a snowman somewhere else – preferably on patios or other hard surfaces. When snowmen melt, we want to avoid this water being left in contact with grass as it can causes disease.

Clear Up Any Leaves and Debris

The leaves that cover the lawn are not just a nuisance, they’re also potential troublemakers. Left to their own devices, fallen leaves can lead to an increase in moisture at ground level and fungal infections on your lawn.

They may even attract worms who will leave worm casts behind in their wake as they move onto the top of your turf grass looking for food.

It’s a time consuming task but is the most important one for winter. If you would rather not use a garden rake, a leaf vacuum will suffice.

Deal with Worm Casts

It’s natural to see worm casts on the surface of your lawn. These unsightly, slimy castings are full of nutrients you can use to fertilise your lawn. Worms work by breaking down organic matter into a fertile soil that is rich with microorganisms like bacteria – which provide important nutrients for plants such as nitrogen and phosphate.

Wait until they dry out before brushing them back into the ground.

Mow the Grass If Needed

Many people aren’t keen on cutting grass in winter, but it can be done as long as the temperature is above 5 degrees Celsius. In these milder winters, you might want to give their lawn a going over with your mower.

A centimetre off the top will do as this will level and tidy up the grass. But never do this when it is frosty as you will damage your lawn.

Also take advantage of the fact that mower shops are quiet now – get them to service your machine before the long queues return in spring.

Aerate If Needed

One of the best ways to keep your lawn healthy is through aeration. In autumn, you should have already done this but if not, it’s a good idea to improve drainage and give any surface moisture somewhere to go.

It’s always better to aerate when its mild outside rather than frosty to avoid lawn damage.

Apply a Winter Lawn Feed

Fertilising your lawn in the winter months is a great idea for keeping it looking green and healthy.

One way of doing so with a ready-made product would be to apply Iron Sulphate twice;

• Once at the middle of December
• Then another dose about halfway through February

This will help keep moss away while also providing nutrients that give grass an extra boost when everything else has lost its vibrancy due to cold weather.

Lawn sand can also be used for this purpose due to its high iron content.

Learn more: Why You Should Feed Your Lawn.

Best Lawn Feed: Reviews of Popular Products & Complete Buyers Guide.