‘But it’s not really growing?’ I hear you say. Believe it or not, there is such a thing as Winter lawn care. Whilst your lawn probably isn’t actively growing and pulling out the mower is a rare occurrence this time of year, there are still things you can do to ensure your lawn holds up well and is ready to start growing quickly again come Spring.
Limit Water
Over winter, you shouldn’t need to water your lawn too much, if at all. So, switch off your timers and simply water on an as-needed basis. You will know if your lawn is dry as the leaves will curl. In which case, give it a drink, otherwise it’s best to leave it be. You don’t want to put excess moisture into the soil if you can avoid it. This will only encourage compaction. If you are super keen to keep as much colour as possible though, you can give your lawn a very light watering just before the sun comes up in the mornings, to remove frost from the leaf.
Service Your Mower
During winter, your mower will get to take a bit of a break. In winter it is best to leave extra length on the leaf, especially in shaded areas. Leaving your lawn on the long side will mean there is extra leaf area for photosynthesis, which will help to keep your lawn healthier and hold out those pesky winter weeds. It’s a good time of year to perform a bit of maintenance on your trusty mower, like sharpening the blades ready for spring.
Winter Mowing Height
An important way to help your lawn adjust to the temperatures is to increase your mowing height. By increasing your mowers height and the height of the lawn, the grass will be able to better absorb sunlight and nutrients.
By allowing the leaf to grow longer, the lawn will be able to better block out weeds and retain its colour for longer. As a rough guide, you will only need to mow the lawn every few weeks in the cooler months. This will differ depending on your location and turf variety.
While you will be mowing less throughout winter, it is important to not leave it too long in-between mows. This will help avoid scalping of the lawn, causing it to brown the leaf.
Avoid Compaction
Compaction can be a bit of a problem over winter, particularly in high wear areas, or if you have a bit of wet weather. Try to avoid traffic on your lawn wherever possible, or regularly aerate any areas which cannot be avoided to help loosen the soil. The same applies after heavy rains, particularly if water tends to pool or the soil gets a bit waterlogged. This will help the air get to the root zone, allowing your lawn to breathe and avoid heavily compacted soil.
Take Action Against Weeds
Winter is the time when those nasty weeds may appear, as the growth habit of your lawn won’t be as tight as during the warmer months. Make sure you spray them during the winter, particularly bindii. If these weeds seed, they will return again even more of a problem than the previous year. Broadleaf weeds, bindii and clover can be controlled using Bin-die Selective Weeder or All Purpose Weed Control. Winter Grass on the other hand will need to be eradicated using a specialised product such as Amgrow Winter Grass Killer.
Finally, just remember, if your lawn is a warm season grass, you should expect some loss of colour. You can combat this by using ColourGuard. The degree of colour loss will vary according to the aspect of the lawn and your climate. Frost will tend to cause the leaves to brown, and areas such as the nature strip which are exposed to the elements will generally lose more colour than a backyard which are protected by fencing and gardens. In any case, just remember, spring will be here eventually!
For more winter lawn care tips and advice, check out our other blogs here.
