As the temperatures start to cool down, you may be thinking about your beautiful lawn and the uncertainty of how to take care of it during the wintertime. The last thing you want to do is give up on your lawn care efforts after all of the time and attention you’ve given it. We’re here to tell you — you don’t have to with these winter care tips for your lawn.
Did you know you can keep your lawn healthy all winter long? It might seem like once winter rolls around, you have to give up on a nice lush green lawn. Winter care is very much a thing despite the dreary weather winter brings.
In this article, we’re going to share some of our top winter care tips for your lawn so you can better tend to its needs during the “off” months. Read on to learn our 6 tips that can make a world of difference.
Tip #1: Cut Your Grass Taller
During winter months, when we experience less daylight, letting your lawn grow taller has multiple benefits. First and foremost, it allows grass to capture more sunlight when it’s scarce through larger blades and leaves. If your goal is to ensure that your lawn maintains good health during colder seasons, adjust your mower’s blade to leave your grass more height.
Letting your grass grow longer can also slow or even prevent weeds from growing. With less sunlight available, longer grass will block shorter plants from getting their share. Consider it a natural way to strangle weeds.
Tip #2: Water Less Often
The usual rule of thumb for lawn and garden maintenance is to water based on the type of soil you’re using. Some soils hold more water and release it slowly. Other soils may readily absorb water but release it much faster. Our team can identify soil types for you if you’re unsure what you’re using.
Watering based on your soil type is essential regardless of the time of year, but you should be watering your lawn much less often during fall and winter. Depending on your soil and grass type, you can get away with not watering at all during the cold season, but for most, you’ll want to water once every ten days or so.
Overwatering is a severe problem during winter. Too much water can promote fungus growth and lead to diseases in the soil that can affect plants. If you’re unsure how much water is suitable, our lawn care services team can give you a professional assessment.
Tip #3: Avoid Lawn Traffic
Kids playing on your lawn during the summertime doesn’t pose a threat to the grass because that’s when it’s most resilient. Between the abundance of sunlight and water, grass remains strong and can quickly repair most forms of damage it experiences during warmer months.
However, this isn’t true in winter when the grass is less resilient. You can eliminate a lot of avoidable damage by being aware and avoiding foot traffic across your lawn, if able. If you don’t have a direct pathway from your house to your driveway or the street curb, consider installing one when the weather allows for it.
Tip #4: Aerate Your Soil
Months of walking on your lawn can cause the soil to press together. When this happens, it becomes difficult for plant roots to get the nutrition they need to grow and remain strong. Damage like this can compound your lawn troubles during winter, but it can carry over into next spring and summer if left unaddressed.
Perforating the soil will loosen it up without causing harm. There are multiple ways to do this yourself. The easiest is to use a stiff rake to break up compact soil. There are also special aerating shoes that allow you to perform the job just by walking across the lawn.
Perforating needs to be done with great care so as not to damage plant roots and irrigation lines. If you’re not sure where the irrigation lines are on your property, leave this job to our professional Sydney gardening services if you’re inexperienced.
Tip #5: Use Winter Fertiliser
Keeping your lawn fed is vital to its continued health. However, the makeup of your usual fertiliser may not be sufficient for the changes winter can bring. Specialty winter fertilisers have different levels of nutrients to compensate for what is lost when the days get shorter.
Additionally, don’t wait until winter to start to use winter fertiliser. Start using it one month beforehand. Doing so gives your plants time to adapt to the change.
Tip #6: Look Out for Weeds
Though winter may leave your grass weak, the low temps allow weeds to thrive and spread faster than warmer seasons. Unchecked weeds pose a more significant threat to your lawn than frost and snow, so you need to keep looking for and removing them quickly.
Unfortunately, the colder conditions make the already tedious process of weeding by hand more of a strain, so you may want to look at herbicides to deal with invasive plants. Just make sure it’s safe to use with your plants.
Protect Your Lawn All Year Long With The Garden Men
Based in New South Wales, our crew at The Garden Men know all the ins and outs of maintaining any kind of lawn during winter. Our services include landscape design, garden maintenance, strata maintenance, and other gardening services. If you want to put the health of your lawn or garden in capable hands, reach out to us today.
The Garden Men is a leading landscaping and lawn maintenance company, beautifying and protecting residential and commercial properties around the Sydney region for over 20 years. Our expert property and garden maintenance will add to your home’s value and appeal while keeping it looking great. If you’re ready for the best lawn care in the Sydney area, contact us today!
